Makes one cocktail
1½ ounces Citrus Peel and Lavender-infused vodka (see below)
White Peony Tea with lemon (see below)
1 egg white
Butterfly Pea Flower simple syrup (see left), reduced over heat by 50 percent to thicken
Garnish: flowers from Water Boy Farms
Pour Citrus Peel and Lavender-infused vodka and White Peony Tea with lemon into a shaker tin. Add egg white and dry shake vigorously until contents are foamy. Add a few ice cubes and shake to chill. Strain over a fine mesh strainer into a coupe glass.
Artsy garnish: On the foamy cocktail surface, skillfully place three dots of Butterfly Pea Flower reduction. Take anything pointy (toothpick, bar spoon, olive pick, eagle talon) and sculpt a line through the middle of the three dots, then place an edible flower and sprinkle lavender petals on top.
Citrus Peel and Lavender-infused Vodka
In a 32-ounce Mason jar, put 8 ounces of lavender petals and the peel of one whole fresh lemon; fill the rest of the jar with your choice of vodka.
Let sit for 14 to 21 days, taste-testing every day after two weeks. Once you have desired flavor, strain and pour liquid into a separate container to store until use.
White Peony Tea
Put 2 cups turbinado sugar and 2 cups water in saucepan; simmer on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 cup White Peony tea and turn off heat; let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Add a splash of fresh lemon juice to tea infusion, and store in a cool place until needed.
NOTE: White Peony is a low-caffeine loose tea with hints of melon and a light floral aroma, and can be found in most tea shops (we found it at the Spice & Tea Merchants of McKinney).
Toby Thomason is General Manager of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen and Board Member of The Seed Project Foundation
Michelle LeBolt is the Beverage Director at Harvest Seasonal Kitchen.
