Spiked Blackberry Lilac Lemonade

This is the PERFECT cocktail (or mocktail… just skip the gin!!) to sip on during those warm days while you’re outside soaking up the sunshine poolside or on a patio!

Now, the only thing to keep in mind here is that lilac season is SO SHORT!! You only have a small window of time to get this drink whipped up before the lilacs are GONE!! It almost seems when they’re suddenly in full bloom their lives are as short-lived as the ripeness of an avocado lol. So, this recipe is typically best done in May, but it’s worth doing if you still have access to lilacs!

We took FULL advantage once the lilacs came into bloom… foraging and clipping lilacs within days of seeing them come to life in the Kelowna area. It’s important to seize the time when they’re most abundant! In addition to lilacs, we used blackberries to maximize the purple hue of the drink, and it added the perfect amount of sweetness.

Now, without further ado… here’s the recipe!!

Spiked Blackberry Lilac Lemonade

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Recipe by From the Kitchen of Jillian Harris

Ingredients

• 1 cup 1 sugar

• 1 cup 1 water

• 2 cups 2 freshly picked lilacs

• Juice from 8 large lemons

• 1 cup 1 fresh blackberries

• 4 cups 4 filtered water

• 3-4 oz Gin

Directions

• Start by making your lilac simple syrup. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until the syrup has reduced by half, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Once reduced, turn off the heat, add in your lilac florets and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for one hour to cool (the longer your syrup sits the more intense the lilac flavour!).
• Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, and set aside one ounce for the blackberry mixture.
• Add the rest of the syrup into a large pitcher. Set aside.
• In a cocktail shaker or large glass, muddle the blackberries and one ounce of simple syrup. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside.
• Add your lemon juice, water, and gin into the pitcher. Stir to combine, ensuring simple syrup has dissolved. Taste and adjust if necessary by adding more lemon juice or water if need be.
• To serve, fill a large Collins glass with ice and pour .5 ounce of blackberry mixture over ice. Fill glass with lemonade, and garnish with a slice of lemon and fresh lilacs. ENJOY!

Let me know if you end up giving this drink a whirl or if you tweak it in any way … I would LOVE to hear all about your creations in the comments section below!

xo

Jilly