Cool down with the ultimate summer cocktail… boozy lavender lemonade! Homemade lavender honey syrup is mixed with refreshing lemonade, vodka, and sparkling water, then topped off with a sugared rim and a few garnishes. Easy to make, and you’ll love how refreshing this cocktail is.
This is one of my Drink recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
I’m not sure what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods, but here in the Midwest it’s been warming up (and with that unforunately comes the storms and tornados).
That warmer weather also brings cravings of sitting out in the sunshine, sipping on a cool, frosty drink!
This lavender lemonade is spiked with vodka so you can get that refreshing, cool drink, plus a cocktail, all in one.
Don’t worry, if you’d prefer a non-alcoholic drink, I’ve included how to make this a regular lavender lemonade in the “variations of this recipe” section below.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
You’ll love the sweet, slightly floral flavor, and how easy it is to make!
- Customize-able – whether you like your lemonade more tart, more sweet, or you prefer more or less lavender flavor, you can absolutely switch up the proportions to be more to your tastes.
- Prepped ahead – to save time, the honey lavender syrup can be made ahead of time, as well as the lemonade (minus the sparkling water), which means you can be sipping on this cocktail in no time!
- Homemade – despite how relatively simple this recipe is to make, everything from the simple syrup to the lemonade itself, is all homemade, so you know exactly what’s in your drink.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Water – nothing fancy here, just regular flat water.
- Honey – I love to use local honey, but any quality honey will work well.
- Lavender – dried lavender buds are what I developed and tested this recipe with, as they’re much easier to come by than fresh buds.
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice will definitely give you the best and freshest flavor.
- Vodka – no need to break the bank on the top of the line vodka, since this is a mixed drink.
- Sparkling water – club soda or seltzer water are great substitutions.
- Lemons – lemons are used for both rimming the glasses, and as a garnish.
- Sugar – this is used in the sugared rim of the glasses, and you can use granulated sugar or a coarse white sugar.
- Lemon zest – also used in the sugared rim.
How to make boozy lavender lemonade:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make the simple syrup. This is done by bringing water, honey, and lavender buds to a boil, then letting it steep.
- Strain. Strain out the lavender buds.
- Add lemon juice. I like to strain the syrup directly into the pitcher, so you can just pour the juice right in there.
- Add vodka. Give things a good stir and chill it.
- Add sparkling water. This is added towards the end so it stays nice and bubbly.
- Garnish. Garnishes can be added to the pitcher too, for a pretty presentation.
- Rim glasses. This is obviously optional, but I love how pretty and professional it makes hte cocktails look.
- Serve. Pour the lemonade, garnish, and serve.
Helpful Tip!
Fresh lavender can be difficult to come by in certain parts of the country (and world), so that’s why I typically use dried lavender buds to make the honey lavender simple syrup. If you can find fresh lavender though, you can certainly use it.
Variations of this recipe
- Sugar – instead of honey, you can use an equal amount of granulated sugar.
- Non-sparkling – bubbles not your thing? No worries, just replace the sparkling water with regular flat water.
- Other alcohol – not a vodka fan? Try using clear rum or silver tequila instead.
- Sweetness level – if you prefer your lemonade sweeter, feel free to make and use more of the simple syrup. If you prefer it more tart, you can absolutely make and use less simple syrup.
- More lemon juice – want more lemon flavor? You can increase the amount of lemon juice (just know that it will make the drink a bit more tart).
- Non-alcoholic – if you don’t want to use any alcohol in this recipe, please see the non-alcoholic version in the “chef tips” section right below the recipe directions in the recipe card below.
FAQ’s
Sure thing! Just replace the vodka with water, and follow the rest of the recipe.
Absolutely! If you’re not a huge fan of lavender, or want just a hint of it, you can use less of the lavender buds in the simple syrup. Or conversely, if you LOVE the flavor, you can add more. Just be careful, as using too much can make your drink taste like lavender scented candles/soaps, etc.
Making boozy lemonade ahead of time
You can make this lemonade recipe ahead of time, just be sure to keep it covered in the refrigerator.
I don’t recommend adding the sparkling water until you’re ready to serve, otherwise it’ll go flat and you won’t have those bubbles.
You can also prep the simple syrup ahead of time, just store it in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.
Storage
Leftover lemonade should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Drink it within 3-4 days for the best flavor.
The sparkling water will go flat, so when you serve it, just add a splash of new sparkling water to each glass.
My Favorite Pitcher!
This pitcher is a good size for this lemonade recipe, and it’s shorter stature means it fits easily in most refrigerators. It also has a tight-fitting lid, and is easy to clean.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Lavender honey simple syrup
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup honey
- 2 Tbsp dried or fresh lavender buds see chef tips #2 below
Boozy lemonade
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 5-6 lemons
- 6 oz vodka about 3/4 cup
- 2 cups sparkling water
For serving
- lemon wedges for rimming the glass
- 2 Tbsp granulated or coarse white sugar for rimming the glass
- 1 – 2 tsp lemon zest for rimming the glass
- lemon slices garnish
- sprigs of fresh lavender garnish
Instructions
Make simple syrup
- To a small saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup honey, and 2 Tbsp dried or fresh lavender buds. Bring to a boil over MED heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once boiling, remove from the heat and let steep for about 10 minutes.
- Place a strainer over a large pitcher (at least 2 quarts) and pour in the cooled simple syrup through a strainer to remove the lavender buds.
- Discard the buds, then let the contents of the pitcher cool to room temperature.
Make lemonade
- Once cooled, to the pitcher, add 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 6 oz vodka, and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, until well chilled.
Prepare to serve
- When ready to serve, run lemon wedges around the rims of the serving glasses, wetting them with the juice.
- Add 2 Tbsp granulated or coarse white sugar and 1 – 2 tsp lemon zest to a shallow plate, stir, then invert a glass and dip the wet rim into the sugar mixture. Repeat this step with the other glasses.
- To the pitcher, add 2 cups sparkling water and stir well.
Serve
- Pour into prepared glasses, and garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of fresh lavender if desired. Enjoy responsibly!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe makes about 7-ish cups of lemonade, which you’re free to divide into as many servings as you’d like. I’ve estimated it will serve about 6.
- Amazon (click for the link) is a good place to find dried lavender buds if you can’t find them at your local grocery stores.
- To make this drink non-alcoholic, just replace the vodka with water.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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