Lavender-Infused Mom Collins

[G]ood ol’ Tom Collins is about to get all gussied up.

The classic Tom Collins cocktail is a simple mixture of gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and sparkling water.  Essentially, sparkling gin lemonade.  Undeniably delicious and summery.  

This Mother’s Day update includes floral lavender which plays very well with herbaceous gin and bright lemon.  Essentially, we’re giving this classic cocktail and sweet and feminine twist because we’re endlessly clever and thirsty.  

Cheers!

Because we’re classy, dignified, generous, sweet, and kind-hearted.  Because we learned all of those things from our mothers.  Because because because… this cocktail deserves a sugar rim.  

Granulated sugar, dried lavender, vanilla bean, and well, purple sugar too, because we’re also fancy.  

A small plate will do as we rub all of these ingredients together.  

The mixture will become fragrant as the lavender oils and vanilla bean goodness is released into the sugars.  

The rim of a tall Collins glass is moistened with either lemon or water and dipped into the sugar mixture.  

Now it’s time to booze these glasses up.  

First a few ice cubes.  Be careful not to disturb the sugar rim.  

Gin into each glass.  

I used one of my favorite gins:  St. George Gin.  

Their Terroir Gin is my absolute favorite but the Botanivore is divine in this cocktail.  

Fresh lemon juice is added to the gin.  

And lavender-infused simple syrup.  

It’s easy.  One part water heated with one part granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Add some dried lavender and let steep until the sugar syrup is fragrant and infused with lavender flavor, just about 15 minutes.  

More ice and a good splash of sparkling water.  Stir it up and garnish with a lemon slice.  Serve to mama.  Cheers all around.  You’re worth it.  

Lavender-Infused Mom Collins

Print Recipe

• Author: Joy the Baker
• Yield: 1 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Lavender Sugar Rim

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons lavender sanding sugar (optional)
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender leaves
• vanilla beans scraped from half of a vanilla bean pod

For the Cocktail

• lots of ice cubes
• 2 ounces gin
• 1 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce lavender-infused simple syrup*
• sparkling water
• lemon slices to garnish

Instructions

1. *To make the lavender infused simple syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat stir together 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of dried lavender. Let steep for 10 minutes then strain the lavender from the syrup. There you have it!
2. To make the sugar rim, rub together sugars, lavender, and vanilla until well combined and fragrant. Place on a small plate. Dip the rim of the glass in a bit of water and press into the sugar mixture to thickly coat the rim.
3. To make the cocktail, place two ice cubes in the sugar-rimmed glass. Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup and stir. Add a few more ice cubes and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a lemon slice and enjoy immediately.