From freshly squeezed lime juice to thick agave syrup, every ingredient in a tequila sour is responsible for the cocktail’s refreshing nature. The bitters thrown in help to round out the sweet, tart drink, but they’re not mandatory. They can easily be swapped for lavender syrup to give tequila sours an aromatic, floral flair. Bitters are used to balance out the flavors of cocktails with an earthy, woodsy, or spiced taste. No two bitters are alike, with some possessing a fiery taste from clove and cinnamon, while others give off a citrusy brightness. If you’d like to home in on just one flavor, though, use lavender in its place.
The flower is aromatic, helping to level out the tart, saccharine elements of a tequila sour. With hints of citrus, rosemary, and mint, the herbaceous flower slightly tempers the lime and tequila while maintaining their zestiness. To whip up your own lavender-tinged tequila sour, go with a store-bought syrup or quickly make some simple lavender syrup by simmering the dried flower with sugar and distilled water. Add the tequila, lavender syrup, lime juice, lavender liqueur, and an egg white to an ice-filled shaker. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, strain the drink into a chilled glass and top it off with fresh lavender sprigs and a lime zest twist.
Spruce up your lavender tequila sour with these ingredients
One of the best parts about swapping bitters for lavender simple syrup in the cocktail is that the fresh, straightforward flavor works with an abundance of ingredients. Aside from fresh lavender sprigs, you can use all kinds of garnishes for your tequila cocktail. A dash of grapefruit zest adds color to the mixed drink, as well as a boost of citrus flavor. Since grapefruits are on the bitter side, they help aromatic lavender balance out the sweetness of the drink while making sure it’s still refreshing.
Ice cubes maintain tequila soda’s refreshing flavor, but they can water them down, as well. To keep the flavor intact, make ice cubes out of fresh lime, lemon, and grapefruit juice. As they melt, the citrusy taste of the cocktail remains strong. To heighten the herbaceous taste of the drink, add dried lavender, rosemary, and mint to the cubes before they freeze.
If you miss the warmth of bitters in the cocktail but don’t want to use the liquid itself, top off the drink with a dash of cinnamon sugar or pop a cinnamon stick into the finished product. The woodsy spice adds a subtle richness to tequila sodas that meshes well with the earthy taste of lavender. To further infuse the drink with its warmth, you can add a cinnamon stick to the pot when making lavender simple syrup.
