Owner/mixologist Willa Van Nostrand, Little Bitte & World’s Fair Gallery, Providence

Floral cocktails can be misunderstood but DIY floral syrups actually ensure a gentle application of blossoms and are less intense than floral liqueurs and cordials. 

Photography By | March 15, 2024

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 1 Cocktail
  • 1½ ounces lilac syrup*
  • 2 ounces prosecco or dry sparkling wine
  • 1 ounce sparkling water
  • Lilac blossoms, stems removed, for garnish**

Preparation

Fill a wine glass or cocktail glass with ice, pour in lilac syrup, top with sparkling wine and sparkling water and garnish. Makes 1 cocktail. 

*Lilac syrup: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup lilac blossoms (about 50), green stems removed, with 1 cup granulated sugar; infuse for up to 24 hours. In a nonreactive saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil, add blossom mixture and simmer over low heat, about 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, fine strain and funnel syrup into a clean glass jar. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks. 

Color hack: If the lilacs do not impart enough color into the syrup, mash 2–3 fresh or frozen blueberries into the syrup while still hot and then strain along with blossoms. 

**As always, be sure to properly ID your edible blossoms and only harvest from areas that have not been sprayed with pesticides. 

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 1 Cocktail
  • 1½ ounces lilac syrup*
  • 2 ounces prosecco or dry sparkling wine
  • 1 ounce sparkling water
  • Lilac blossoms, stems removed, for garnish**
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