As much as we love making non-alcoholic cocktails with spirit alternatives, sometimes you need something easier. This refreshing highball is essentially a Tom Collins without the gin, and while you could certainly add gin (zero-proof or alcoholic), our Lavender Lemonade mocktail is absolutely fantastic on its own. All you need to make this is fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda, and our alcohol-free Lavender bitters.
Add lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters to a highball glass and stir.
Fill glass with ice, top with sparkling water, and stir to combine and chill.
Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Recipe Note
Want to get wild and turn this into a Lavender Tom Collins? Just add 2 ounces of your favorite gin, or 1 oz for a lower-ABV cocktail you can sip all day. For a non-alcoholic version, some of our favorite gin alternatives are Monday and Free Spirits, or for something more unique with a distinctly floral spin, try Wilderton Lustre.
HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE SYRUP Simply combine equal parts sugar and water (i.e., 1 cup of each) in a small sauce pot, bring to a simmer, and immediately remove from heat. You can even make this in a microwave! The objective is simply to dissolve the sugar. Once cooled, transfer to a closed container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
HOW TO MAKE LAVENDER SYRUP To make lavender syrup, combine 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of white sugar in a small sauce pot, add a handful of culinary lavender buds, bring to a very low simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let it infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the lavender out, bottle the syrup, and refrigerate.
This recipe should yield a bit less than a cup of syrup and can be scaled up or down. For a different flavor and texture, you could make this by combining honey and water with lavender buds, in the same proportions, instead of sugar.
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