Equipment
Ingredients
Syrup Base
- 240 ml water
- 240 g white granulated sugar
Botanicals
- 3 g dried culinary lavender
- 15 ml rose water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 58 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 1 mg
- Potassium
- 5 mg
- Calcium
- 1 mg
- Iron
- 0.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Water
- 15 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves, reaching approximately 90°C/195°F.
Once the syrup reaches a gentle simmer, add the dried culinary lavender. Stir briefly to submerge the buds, then immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.
Cover the saucepan and let the lavender steep in the hot syrup for 20 minutes. This precise timing extracts the sweet essential oils without pulling out the bitter, soapy tannins from the plant matter.
Strain the infused syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass bottle or container, discarding the spent lavender buds.
Allow the strained syrup to cool completely to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes. Once cool, stir in the rose water. Adding the rose water after cooling preserves its volatile aromatic compounds, ensuring a bright and delicate flavor.
Chef's Notes
- Always source true culinary-grade lavender, ideally Lavandula angustifolia. Many ornamental varieties found in gardens or craft stores contain much higher levels of camphor, which creates an unpleasant medicinal or soapy taste.
- Rose water varies significantly in strength and concentration depending on the manufacturer. Start with a smaller amount of rose water, taste your syrup, and adjust upward if your specific brand is exceptionally subtle.
- To give the syrup a beautiful natural pink or light purple hue without affecting the flavor profile drastically, steep a small pinch of dried hibiscus petals or a few butterfly pea flowers alongside the lavender.
- This syrup is highly versatile. Beyond shaken cocktails like gimlets and Collins variations, it pairs exceptionally well with iced matcha lattes, sparkling water, or drizzled over fresh berries and plain yogurt.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 weeks — Store in an airtight glass container.
Freezer: 6 months — Can be frozen in ice cube trays for easy portioning.
Troubleshooting
Syrup tastes excessively bitter, medicinal, or soapy
Cause: Over-steeping the lavender, using non-culinary grade ornamental lavender, or adding an excessive amount of rose water
Fix: Dilute the batch by mixing it with an equal volume of plain, unflavored simple syrup to mellow out the botanicals
Prevention: Adhere strictly to the 20-minute steeping time, always source Lavandula angustifolia for culinary use, and measure the rose water accurately
Sugar crystallizes in the bottle after storing
Cause: Undissolved sugar crystals remained on the side of the saucepan during the cooking process and seeded crystallization
Fix: Gently reheat the syrup with a tiny splash of warm water until the crystals dissolve again completely
Prevention: Avoid aggressive stirring once the mixture simmers; wipe down the inside walls of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush if sugar adheres to them
Cultural Context
Both rose water and lavender have ancient roots in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions, initially utilized in apothecaries for their soothing and aromatic properties. Over centuries, these botanicals transitioned from medicine cabinets into the kitchen, commonly flavoring confections like Turkish delight, nougat, and French pastries. Today, they are widely celebrated in modern mixology for adding complex, elegant floral top notes to both alcoholic and spirit-free beverages.
