Nothing says summer and magic quite like a color changing Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail recipe to cool you off, wouldn’t you agree?!
Impress your friends with a boozy magic trick by mixing up some Butterfly Pea Flower Cocktails at your next get together!
This color changing cocktail is spin off of mint juleps. As any Southerner or Derby die-hards will tell you, mint juleps are not for the faint of heart.
They are on the boozier side, featuring lots of bourbon. And they are absolutely delicious and perfect to keep cool on a hot day.
I, Ashley Conway made this Butterfly Flower Pea Cocktail with lots of crushed ice, fresh mint, a color changing syrup (yes, seriously!) and some added lemon juice for a balanced and perfectly crushable cocktail recipe!
Where does the magic part come in? With a little science and help from a flower! The Butterfly Pea Flower!
What is a Butterfly Pea Flower?
The Butterfly Pea plant or Clitoria ternatea is wildflower vine plant. The flower originates from Thailand, where it is used in herbal teas and dishes to create a color changing effect.
When expanded, the vine plant expands to resemble a butterfly. (Hence, it’s name.)
When citrus juice or other acidic ingredients are added to a drink or dish with the flower, it changes color!
When the ph level fluctuates, so does the color, changing from a vibrant blue to purple and finally to pink in some cases, giving the drink a “galaxy” like effect.
This special ingredient acts as a natural food coloring. And it doesn’t have to be only used in cocktails! Locals actually use the flower in a popular Asian tea, Nam Dok Anchan.
Something as simple as lemonade pairs well with butterfly pea flower tea.
The Southeast Asia flower is actually with filled with anti-inflammatory compounds. So it’s a perfect relaxing drink that’s rich in antioxidants.
For this cocktail, lemon juice is poured over the drink to make the butterfly pea flower change from deep blue to a pretty purple.
Ingredients Needed to Make a Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail
Mint leaves — For your cocktail and for garnishing
Bourbon
Butterfly Pea Flower syrup — The simple syrup is easy to to make and only requires dried Butterfly Flower, water and sugar.
Lemon juice — The important acidic element needed to get your cocktail to change colors.
Crushed ice
Where to Buy Butterfly Tea Flower
You can purchase dried Butterfly Pea flowers online from Amazon, Etsy or find them at a spice or herbal store.
They’re also sold as butterfly pea tea (which is caffeine free). However, make sure to buy whole dried flowers instead of the powdered tea.
They’re really popular for their mood ring color changing ways so you’d be surprised how easily they can be found!
Simple Syrup | How To Make A Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup
Butterfly pea flower has a earthy and woody taste similar to green tea. However, with some sugar, it makes for a sweet blue tea simple syrup.
Here’s how to brew your own:
1 — Steep 1/8 cup of dried Butterfly Pea flowers in boiling hot water for 15 minutes. Then, strain out the flowers with a fine mesh strainer.
2 — Add 1 1/2 cups of the butterfly flower tea to a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and heat on medium. You can reserve the leftover tea to drink or freeze into ice cubes and crush for this drink.
3 — Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool.
Store your Butterly Pea syrup in a jar or airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to a month.
How to Make a Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail
Before you start, make sure you’ve made butterfly flower syrup beforehand.
Gently muddle mint leaves in a julep cup or fluted glass.
Next, add crushed ice to fill 3/4 of the glass.
Then, add bourbon and the Butterfly Pea Flower syrup and stir to chill. Add more crushed ice to fill the glass.
Pour lemon juice over the cocktail and watch the blue pea change colors! The presentation alone makes this such a fun drink.
Make sure to stir it well. You’ll want to evenly mix the tart and sweet flavors. You’ll know when it’s ready when your drink is a deep magenta.
Smack mint sprigs to release oils and then, garnish the glass.
You don’t want to just throw in the mint. To “smack” the sprigs, place the sprig in one hand and gently smack it with the other. This is when the fresh flavors are released!
How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail for a Big Party
Our cocktail recipe makes for one serving.
If you are hosting a large gathering or don’t want to individually make each cocktail, you can make a large batch.
Just make sure to keep the simple syrup recipe and the bourbon and lemon juice mixture in separate pitchers.
More Fun And Easy Cocktail Recipes
Love how unique this Butterfly Pea Flower cocktail is? Check out our other favorite drinks and boozy treats that will wow your guest:
- 24 Carrot Cocktail — This beautiful drink is garnished with mini carrots and edible flowers.
- Ice Sphere Cocktail — This cocktail is served not on ice but in ice!
- Easy Champagne Jello Shots — These classy shots are actually made of edible gold.
- Dotted Thai Fruit Cocktail — Basil seeds and dragonfruit add playful patterns.
- Refreshing Mojito Pitcher Recipe — Made in a big batch and perfect to cool down.
- Spiked Lollipops — They look like pretty jellyfish on a stick.
- Coffee Old Fashioned Cocktail Drink Recipe — for a twist on the classic.
- A simple and delicious mulled wine recipe – Perfect for cozy, cool weather nights
- Dark and Stormy Cocktail – Halloween is just around the corner and this cocktail is perfect for it!
- Root Beer Float – Make this as a boozy or classic drink recipe
- Apple Cider Drink – This can be a cocktail, cocktail, or just a detox iced drink!
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Julep cup
- Muddle
Ingredients
- 8 mint leaves and more for garnishing
- 2 1/2 oz bourbon
- 3/4 oz butterfly flower syrup refer to recipe below
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- Crushed ice
Nutrition
Notes
- If you are hosting a large gathering or don’t want to individually make each cocktail, you can make a large batch. Just make sure to keep the simple syrup recipe and the bourbon and lemon juice mixture in separate pitchers.
Instructions
- Prepare the Butterfly Pea Flower simple syrup. Refer to the recipe below.
- Gently muddle mint leaves in a julep cup or fluted glass.
- Add crashed ice to fill 3/4 of the glass.
- Add bourbon and the Buttefly Pea Flower syrup and stir to chill.
- Add more crushed ice to fill the glass.
- Pour lemon juice over the cocktail and watch the blue pea change colors! Make sure to stir it well. You’ll want to evenly mix the tart and sweet flavors. You’ll know when it’s ready when your drink is a deep magenta.
- Smack mint sprig to release oils and garnish the glass. To “smack” the sprigs, place the sprig in one hand and gently smack it with the other. This is when the fresh flavors are released!
Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup
Butterfly Flower Pea Syrup Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 0.125 cup dried Butterfly Pea flowers about 50 flowers
- 4 cup water
- 1.5 cup white granulated sugar
Nutrition
Notes
- Store your syrup in a jar or airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to a month
Instructions
- Boil water.
- Steep Butterfly Pea flowers in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Strain out the flowers.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the Butterfly Pea Flower tea to a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium. You can reserve the leftover tea to drink or freeze into ice cubes and crush for this drink.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool.
Don’t forget to share your Butterfly Pea Flower cocktail 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 bites to go along with them!
So wonderful! Creme de violette may provide a similar result by being mixed with citrus juice to get the same colour change!
Question about: Steep Butterfly Pea flowers in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Does that mean i leave it on a boil or i just put boiling water in the tea pot?
Great question! You would just steep it in the water (that was boiled) like when you steep tea. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. But definitely do not keep the water boiling. Hope this helps!
Hi there,
My apologies for my earlier comment. It seems another individual (going by the name Organic Tea on Pinterest) is using my image and linking to your site (you can view their pin here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/140806229801163/). If you have any contact with this person I would greatly appreciate you asking them to remove the photo and only promote your content using your own images. Again my apologies for assuming you had stolen the images.
Thank you,
Salima
Hi Salima! Thank you for sending us the link. Unfortunately, we are not associated with or know of any account that goes by the name Organic Tea. It looks like this account sells tea and will repost tea recipes that they like. They probably just linked their pin to the wrong website since it looks like they correctly credited all their other pins. You may have better luck messaging this account through Pinterest or finding their contact info on their website.
I noticed you are using my images (you can find them here: https://salimaskitchen.com/butterfly-pea-flower-cocktail/) illegally on your Pinterest account to promote this recipe. Please take them down immediately.
Hi Salima! We just checked, and we don’t see any of our created pins using images that are not ours and then linking it to our site. If you could send us a link, we can verify the pine. Please be aware that that when we do create graphics to pin, we are using our own photos. We do re-pin items of interest but they are always linked to the proper owner.
I was excited to try this for the Fourth of July, but it did not turn out a pretty color like the pictures. I must have done something wrong.
Hi Lorry! We are sorry to hear! The color of how the cocktail turns out is very dependent on the butterfly pea flowers that you use. They come in different color variations so that may be the issue.
This looks so delicious and refreshing! My husband will e so excited to try this! Saved for this weekend! Can’t wait!
It is definitely refreshing for the summer heat right now! XOXO
What could be more fun than a drinkable magic trick?! Love it!
Thank you, Wilhelmina!
Can’t wait to make this cocktail. It’s gorgeous.
Thanks, Erin! Let us know how it turns out!
So lovely! You can achieve a similar effect with creme de violette – adding the citrus creates the same color shift!
That is so cool! I’ll have to try that because this trick totally blew my mind lol. Thanks for sharing!
That is so fun! And it just looks gorgeous, I think I need to try it.
YES! Let us know if you do! :)
Oh my goodness, how FUN! Where do you find those magic flowers? I love, love, LOVE a good mint julep!
Isn’t it fun?! You can just search google for “Butterfly Pea Flower tea” and you’ll find a lot of places. Here is an Amazon link for ya.