GRAPEFRUIT LAVENDER G&T

Yes, I realize that summer is over so a light refreshing Gin & Tonic is no longer on everybody’s mind, but I just had one of these and don’t want to wait 7 months to share it.

The classic Gin & Tonic with a 1:3 ratio of gin to tonic is a perfect template to experiment with since you could probably add almost anything and find a way to make it delicious. The lavender plants at my house had an awesome year and are still flowering in October, and what better way to preserve some of their flavor than putting some in a drink?

This recipe uses a lavender tincture which might be unfamiliar to some but I assure you it is easy and painless to make. You will need some lavender (either dried or fresh), a clean glass container, and Everclear grain alcohol or a 100+ proof vodka.

Put the lavender in the glass container (stems are okay too), pour in enough alcohol to cover, and then wait. The longer you leave it the stronger it will become andthe lower percent alcohol your spirit is the longer the extraction of flavors will take.

If you are using 190 proof Everclear it could be lavender-y enough for cocktails in as little as 6 hours but you can certainly leave it longer. I use both fresh and dried lavender with Everclear and let it sit for 24 hours.

The process is pretty forgiving and you can always make adjustments and add more or less to your drink to get the balance just right. You can also adjust the strength of your tincture by adding a little water or more lavender and letting it sit for a while longer.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• 1/4 oz 1:1 simple syrup
• 1/2 tsp Lavender Tincture
• 3 oz Tonic Water
• Garnish With Grapefruit Peel and Lavender Sprig

Instructions

• Pour the gin, grapefruit juice, and lavender tincture into a tall glass.
• Add a few ice cubes.
• Top with tonic water.
• Express grapefruit oils from the peel and drop it in. Stick in a sprig of fresh lavender and enjoy.

Tag me at @mydrinkinghobby when you make this!