Sparkling Lavender Gin Cocktail

The marriage of lavender and gin is one of those happy accidents that feels, in retrospect, entirely inevitable. Both are botanical at heart—gin gets its character from juniper and a supporting cast of herbs and flowers, while lavender has been perfuming European kitchens since the Roman legions brought it north from the Mediterranean. That they should meet in a cocktail glass is less invention than reunion. This particular rendition adds black tea to the equation, which introduces a tannic backbone that prevents the floral notes from floating off into perfume territory. The syrup—which does require advance planning—steeps dried lavender blossoms with loose black tea, creating a concentrate that smells like a garden in late summer. Shaken hard with gin and fresh lemon, then stretched with soda, it becomes something that works equally well at a garden party or as an evening restorative. The key is restraint. Lavender is potent stuff, and the line between "sophisticated botanical" and "drinking your grandmother's sachets" is finer than you might think. The proportions here have been calibrated for elegance rather than intensity.