Indulge in the enchanting fusion of botanical aromas and refreshing flavors with the Lavender Gin Buck, a delightful cocktail that elevates the classic gin buck with a touch of floral sophistication.
Are you tired of the same old gin cocktails? Looking to add a little zest to your cocktail repertoire? Look no further than the Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck.
Our refreshing and vibrant drink that we invented combines the bold flavors of lavender, grapefruit, and gin for a delightful twist on a classic cocktail.
Admittedly, we’ve been having a moment with this whole flowers in cocktails trend. There are a surprising amount of flowers out there that are edible!
And one flower that we return to often is lavender. Not only is it totally accessible, but you can get food grade dried buds online and in most grocery stores. Plus, it has a beautiful flavor.
I, Ashley found some Spanish lavender at the market recently. And I couldn’t wait to use it again to mix-up this Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck cocktail!
What is a Gin Buck?
A Buck is a style of cocktail using liquor mixed with citrus (usually lemon juice or lime juice) and ginger beer (or sometimes ginger ale). The most famous (or infamous if you ask any bartender) are the Moscow Mules.
There are so many other great Bucks out there. However, our favorite for warm weather? A Gin Buck. We love Gin Bucks because the juniper and botanicals in gin pair beautifully with the ginger beer.
The addition of lavender and swap for grapefruit juice in the Lavender Gin Buck recipe adds a unique floral twist to the traditional recipe, enhancing its aromatic complexity.
Love grapefruit juice? Try our refreshing Grapefruit Crush.
Ingredients Needed to Make Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck Cocktail
Gin
Ginger beer — It’s important to use a good-quality ginger beer for the best flavor, as it plays a significant role in the taste profile of the cocktail.
Grapefruit juice
Lavender simple syrup — Recipe below! You can opt for regular simple syrup. But then, you won’t get the wonderful lavender component of the drink. Plus, it’s so easy to make at home.
Grapefruit slice — To garnish
Organic lavender stalk or other edible flowers — To garnish
How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
Water
Granulated sugar
Dried culinary lavender buds — Make sure they are food-grade
Instructions:
1 — In a saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely.
2 — Once the sugar has dissolved, add the dried lavender buds to the saucepan.
3 — When the mixture boils, remove the saucepan from heat and allow the lavender syrup to steep and cool to room temperature. This will give the syrup time to infuse with the lavender flavor.
4 — Once the syrup has cooled and reached your desired level of lavender flavor, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container or jar.
This will remove the lavender buds from the syrup, leaving you with a smooth liquid. Store up to 4 weeks in the fridge.
How to Make Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck
1 — In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the gin, grapefruit juice, and lavender simple syrup. Shake until well combined and chilled.
2 — Strain and pour into a chilled copper mug with ice.
3 — Top with the ginger beer.
4 — Optional: Garnish with grapefruit slice and lavender.
Recipe Notes and Tips
Chill your mug beforehand:
Gin bucks are typically served in a chilled copper mug. You can use a regular cocktail glass, but we highly recommend a copper mug.
Copper is highly conductive. Thus, it will keep the cocktail at an ice cold temperature. A chilled mug keeps the cocktail colder even longer.
So simply wet the mug, and place it in the freezer for 2 hours.
Adjust to your flavor preference:
Adjust the amount of grapefruit juice (for more of a citrus profile) and ginger beer (for something less potent and more bubbly) according to your personal taste preferences.
What to do with your leftover lavender simple syrup:
Add this aromatic syrup to various beverages and desserts to enjoy its floral essence. Lavender syrup works especially well in other drinks. So experiment by making Lavender Lemonade or Lavender Mojito to add a unique and fragrant twist.
More Easy Drinks to Try
If you like floral, sweet, tart, fizzy, refreshing cocktails AND drinking out of a fancy copper mug, this is your new summer go-to drink!
For more easy to make spirits, check out a few of our favorite recipes below from the archives —
- Coffee Old Fashioned
- Bacardi Rum Punch
- Whiskey Ice Sphere Cocktail Recipe that Will Surely Impress Your Guests
- Strawberry & Rose Sorbet Champagne
Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck Recipe.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 oz gin
- 1 1/2 oz ginger beer
- 1 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
- 1/2 oz lavender simple syrup
- 1 grapefruit slice optional for garnish
- Organic lavender stalk or other edible flowers optional for garnish
Nutrition
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the gin, grapefruit juice, and lavender simple syrup. Shake until well combined and chilled.
- Strain and pour into a chilled copper mug with ice.
- Top with the ginger beer.
- Optional: Garnish with grapefruit slice and lavender.
Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe
Equipment
- Sauce pan
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 8 oz white granulated sugar
- 8 oz water
- 3 tbsp dried lavender buds
Nutrition
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the dried lavender buds to the saucepan.
- When the mixture boils, remove the saucepan from heat and allow the lavender syrup to steep and cool to room temperature. This will give the syrup time to infuse with the lavender flavor.
- Once the syrup has cooled and reached your desired level of lavender flavor, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container or jar.
Don’t forget to share your Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? You can find them all right here with a few desserts to go along with them.
Gin bucks are typically served in a chilled copper mug. You can use a regular cocktail glass, but we highly recommend a copper mug.
Yep, they usually are! The mugs photographed are ones that we found from Williams Sonoma’s barware collection. They’re made of hand hammered copper and are a hybrid copper and glass mug. The bottom half and handle are copper to keep. And the top half is glass designed in mind with the idea that you’ll consume the top half first while the other half will probably sit longer and therefore need more chill time.
omg this is every flavor i love for spring together!
XO Sahra
Que Sera Sahra
Sounds delicious! But where oh where can i find those mugs!!!
I found them at William’s Sonoma! They’re on sale until June 27th(tomorrow) for 20% off and free shipping!
Lavender and grapefruit all in one glass? Count me in. Happy weekend!