Cocktails with Lavender bitters
Lavender bitters are cocktail bitters built around lavender, added a dash at a time as a concentrated floral-aromatic accent.
ABV44%High in the bottle but negligible in the finished drink, since it's added only in dashes.
Taste profile
A strong floral lavender aroma over a moderate bitterness. The floral note is powerful — pushed too far, it turns soapy or perfumed.
How it's used
A dash or two lifts a drink with lavender aroma and a light bitter backbone — the idea is a scent that plays on the nose, not a drink that tastes of flowers. Gin is the natural match, though it also flatters vodka, bourbon and light rum. Try it in a French 75 or a gin and tonic. Keep the hand light: too many dashes and the lavender takes over.
Substitutes for Lavender bitters
Another aromatic bitters can stand in for the bitter backbone, but only a lavender or floral bitters brings the lavender itself. In a pinch, a drop of lavender syrup or tincture adds the aroma, though without the bitterness.
Description
They're made by macerating lavender flowers and other botanicals in high-proof alcohol, concentrating the aroma into a few potent drops. Lavender leads the blend, so the floral note is what comes through.
