Splashing in a little something floral is a great little trick for enhancing your cocktails. Try adding a floral liqueur, essence, or syrup to cocktails for added depth and complexity. It's not just vodka or clear liquors that take well to florals; try adding a blossom to your rye or whiskey drink. Flavors like lavender, violet, and elderflower make for excellent liqueurs and syrups, which we love to substitute in as a sweetener. From a gorgeous champagne cocktail crowned with a single hibiscus flower to a fragrant twist on the classic old-fashioned, we've rounded up our favorite floral cocktail recipes.
Floral Old Fashioned
Cameron Johnston of Gleneagles Hotel designed this drink for those who don’t usually go for a Scotch drink; chamomile syrup and Dalwhinnie 15 combine for a delicate cocktail with a still-smoky finish. Get the recipe for Floral Old Fashioned »
Cameron Johnston of Gleneagles Hotel designed this drink for those who don't usually go for a Scotch drink; chamomile syrup and Dalwhinnie 15 combine for a delicate cocktail with a still-smoky finish. Get the recipe for Floral Old Fashioned »
Sakura Martini
Tokyo native Kenta Goto of Bar Goto in New York City has elevated the once-maligned saketini to a state of floral elegance by mixing Plymouth gin with oak-aged Junmai sake, sweet maraschino liqueur, and salted cherry blossoms. Get the recipe for the Sakura Martini »
Tokyo native Kenta Goto of Bar Goto in New York City has elevated the once-maligned saketini to a state of floral elegance by mixing Plymouth gin with oak-aged Junmai sake, sweet maraschino liqueur, and salted cherry blossoms. Get the recipe for Sakura Martini »
Antilles Cocktail
Inspired by a cocktail at the now-closed Manhattan restaurant The Beagle, this delicately sweet, subtly floral cocktail is perfect as an after-dinner drink. Orange flower water makes a wonderful accent to armagnac’s notes of dried fruit and vanilla, while dry vermouth keeps the whole thing from becoming cloying. Get the recipe for Antilles Cocktail »
Orange flower water makes a wonderful accent to armagnac's notes of dried fruit and vanilla; combined with vermouth, the result is a delicately sweet, subtly floral cocktail that's perfect as an after-dinner drink. Get the recipe for the Antilles Cocktail »
Rose's Luxury in Washington, D.C. makes this sprightly, pretty cocktail, a mix of rye, rose-tinged simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and bitters. Get the recipe for Rose & Rye »
This bright fuchsia aperitivo mixes tannic hibiscus tea, sweet Lillet Rosé, and dry rosé with a hit of prosecco. Get the recipe for Everything's Coming Up Rosé »
Water Lily
Crème de violette adds sweetness and an arresting purple color to a tart mix of gin, lemon juice, and triple sec in a cocktail based on one from Manhattan bar PDT. Get the recipe for Water Lily >>
Crème de violette adds sweetness and an arresting purple color to a tart mix of gin, lemon juice, and triple sec in a cocktail based on one from Manhattan bar PDT. Get the recipe for Water Lily »
A syrup made with honey and chamomile tea mellows the fresh lemon juice in a gin cocktail from Juan Coronado of South Beach restaurant The Bazaar.
Pendennis Cocktail
Pretty in pink with a delicate froth, this apricot-gin cocktail has a mesmerizing balance of floral, citrus, and fruity flavors. Get the recipe for Pendennis Cocktail >>
Pretty in pink with a delicate froth, this apricot-gin cocktail has a mesmerizing balance of floral, citrus, and fruity flavors. Get the recipe for Pendennis Cocktail »
Our twist on the classic tequila and grapefruit cocktail uses mezcal, fresh grapefruit juice, and lavender simple syrup for a drink that's simultaneously smoky, bright, and floral. Get the recipe for Lavender Paloma »
Elderflower Old Fashioned
Elderflower liqueur replaces the traditional sugar cube in this floral twist on an old favorite. Get the recipe for Elderflower Old Fashioned >>
Elderflower liqueur replaces the traditional sugar cube in this floral twist on an old favorite. Get the recipe for Elderflower Old Fashioned »
Blooming Champagne Cocktail
A single hibiscus flower scented with a drop or two of rose water turns a simple glass of sparkling wine into a showstopper of a cocktail. Get the recipe for Blooming Champagne Cocktail >>
A single hibiscus flower scented with a drop or two of rose water turns a simple glass of sparkling wine into a show-stopping cocktail. Get the recipe for the Blooming Champagne Cocktail »
Citrus wheels and edible flowers lend beautiful color to a classic gin and tonic. Get the recipe for Ultimate Gin and Tonic
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