Lavender Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe
Lavender syrup is what brings in that floral note. With just a few steps and some basic ingredients, it’s totally doable to make a smooth, aromatic Lavender Old Fashioned at home.
Equipment
- Mixing glass: Good for combining everything together.
- Bar spoon: Makes stirring way easier.
- Jigger: For measuring the whiskey and syrup without guessing.
- Strainer: To get the drink into the glass, minus the ice.
- Rocks glass: The classic vessel for this cocktail.
- Peeler: I use it to get a nice strip of orange or lemon.
- Fine mesh strainer (optional): Sometimes handy for catching bits from the peel or ice.
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
- 1/4 oz lavender simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 dash orange bitters optional for extra flavor
- Ice cubes—enough for the glass and for stirring
- Orange or lemon peel for garnish
- Edible lavender sprig for garnish optional
Instructions
- Pour whiskey, lavender syrup, and bitters into a mixing glass.
- Add a bunch of ice.
- Stir for about 20 seconds, just until it’s nicely chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a big ice cube (or a few smaller ones if that’s what you have).
- Garnish with a twist of orange or lemon peel. Hold it over the glass, give it a quick squeeze to release the oils, and drop it in.
- If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add an edible lavender sprig on top.
Notes
I always taste my lavender syrup first—sometimes it’s strong, so I might use a bit less than 1/4 ounce. The orange bitters add a subtle citrus thing that works well with lavender, but you can skip them if you want.
For garnishing, I make sure the lavender is actually safe to eat (culinary-grade). If I’m out of lavender syrup, I just whip up a quick batch at home—it only takes about 15 minutes. Hosting a group? Prepping the syrup and garnishes ahead makes things way smoother. I usually pick a whiskey I’d actually sip on its own, since that flavor really comes through.