In the Party Spirit
The Art of the Handmade Gathering
I’ve been a party animal for as long as I can remember. It started with an early flair for tea parties (real and imaginary), continued with an obsession over birth...
During the winter months I like to get creative with dried herbs and blossoms to add herbal and floral notes to simple syrups, fresh lemonade and spirited infusions. Butterfly blossom (or butterfly pea flower) is a flowering perennial native to southern and southeast Asia and its dried blossoms are perfect for these applications. Butterfly blossom tea is available at tea shops and online—it’s a lesser-known ingredient that creates colorful drama for your winter cocktail repertoire.
For spirit infusions (vodka, gin, etc.) butterfly blossom adds earthy floral notes with a deep indigo hue. Experiment with adding citrus juice (fresh lemon juice, for example) to your butterfly blossom simple syrup and watch the color change in front of your eyes from deep blue to a range of purplish-pink tones—great visual magic for any special occasion.
Keep a bottle of your own Butterfly Limonata in the fridge to add a sweet violet spark to soda water or pour it over ice with your favorite spirit for a simple and satisfying Collins, like my Butterfly Nectar.
For garnish, you can use any citrus you have on hand. I also keep a few pots of rose- and lemon-scented geraniums growing in a sunny window during the winter. Their leaves make for a delightful garnish with delicate perfume and an added botanical dimension when fresh mint and other warm-weather herbs can be hard to find.
Ingredients
- 2 bags (4 grams) butterfly blossom dried tea
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1½ cups light raw honey (or substitute granulated sugar)
- 2 cups fresh lemon juice (juice of approximately 10 lemons), fine-strained to remove pulp
- 6 cups cold water
Instructions
This is a two-in-one recipe: First, you’ll make the butterfly blossom simple syrup (which you can use in a multitude of cocktail applications); then add fresh lemon juice and water … voilà! You’ve made Butterfly Limonata. This colorful take on fresh lemonade is delightful in a Collins, like my Butterfly Nectar, or as a refreshing spirit-free drink over ice and topped with sparkling water.
Steep 2 tea bags (or 4 grams loose tea) in 2 cups boiling water in a small pot or heat-proof bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Discard tea bags or strain to remove loose tea leaves. Gently reheat tea on the stove in a small saucepot, add honey (or sugar if using) and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Now you have your butterfly blossom simple syrup, which can be stored in a clean jar in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
To continue with the limonata, in a large pitcher combine simple syrup, lemon juice and cold water; stir and refrigerate up to 1 week.
Makes 3½ cups simple syrup and approximately 3½ quarts Butterfly LimonataMakes 3½ cups simple syrup and approximately 3½ quarts Butterfly Limonata.
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