Lemon Drop Martini

Are we ready to welcome spring with this beautifully aromatic Lavender Lemon Drop Martini? I love a good spring cocktail, and with Mother’s Day fast approaching, this drink is the perfect way to celebrate Mom.

Back in 2020, I started to experiment in the kitchen with culinary grade lavender. Like everyone during that unique time, I was home a lot and under a tremendous amount of stress. I was looking for ways to induce more soothing flavors in my food and drink. My original idea was to make lavender tea from the dried flowers but Green Tea Matcha became my go-to drink. Having had experience making simple syrup, I decided to make lavender simple syrup for cocktails, mocktails and lattes.

Lavender Simple Syrup is so easy to make. You simply combine equal amounts of water, culinary-grade dried lavender and sugar (add 4-5 frozen blueberries for color, optional). Next, you boil everything a large pot for 10 minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Allow the mixture to fully steep for about an hour. Once infused, strain the syrup through a mesh sieve, pour into an airtight container and store it in your refrigerator until you are ready to use.

With your lavender simple syrup made, you can begin crafting various drinks and spirited beverages with the mixture. One of my favorite cocktails to make with lavender simple syrup is a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini.

Lavender Lemon Drop Martini featured in Ocean City Magazine

This month kicks off my debut of “Cheers with Linda Arceo,” a cocktail column that will appear in Ocean City Magazine. I will be sharing my cocktail recipes in this publication each month. Find the full recipe for my Lavender Simple Syrup and my Lavender Lemon Drop Martini in the May 2022 issue. You can read the full issue online here. My recipe appears on page 16.