Provence-Style Lavender Honey
The combination creates a more complex floral character than either ingredient alone. Use culinary lavender only.
The combination creates a more complex floral character than either ingredient alone. Use culinary lavender only.
- 1 tablespoondried culinary lavender
- 1 cuphoney(wildflower or lavender if available)
- 1/2 cuphot water
- 1Strain through fine mesh strainer.
- 2Refrigerate for up to one month.
- 3Use sparingly - the floral notes are concentrated.
Store in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to three months. The antimicrobial properties of honey prevent spoilage without refrigeration. Keep refrigerated.
Use culinary-grade lavender only — ornamental lavender may contain pesticides. Lavender's aromatic compounds dissolve very efficiently into warm honey, so a short infusion of ten to fifteen minutes at low heat (not simmering) is sufficient; prolonged heat dulls the delicate floral notes and leaves only the more medicinal camphor character. The hot water is added to loosen the honey for easy mixing — use only enough to achieve a pourable consistency, as too much water reduces the honey's natural viscosity and shelf life. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) produces the sweetest, most cocktail-appropriate result; Portuguese or Spanish varieties can be more intensely camphor-like and should be used in smaller quantities.
Lavender honey (miel de lavande) is a distinctively flavored monofloral honey produced by bees foraging on lavender fields — primarily in the Provence region of southeastern France, which has cultivated lavender commercially since the 19th century. Provence lavender honey has a long-established culinary reputation in French cooking and is used in traditional Provençal preparations from nougat to herbal liqueurs. The combination of lavender-infused honey and warm water to create a cocktail sweetener bridges the traditions of Provençal herbal honey preparations and the modern craft cocktail movement's interest in floral, botanical sweeteners. This preparation produces a more complex, layered floral sweetener than either lavender syrup or honey simple syrup alone, with the honey contributing depth and a beeswax-mellow undertone that white sugar cannot replicate.
A Provence-style lavender honey with added citrus can be made by steeping one tablespoon of dried lemon zest alongside the lavender, creating a brighter, more aperitif-style sweetener excellent in gin and sparkling wine cocktails. A chamomile lavender honey, made by adding two teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers alongside the lavender during infusion, creates a double-floral preparation with the honey-apple notes of chamomile amplifying the lavender. For a spiced Provençal variation, add two cracked cardamom pods and a pinch of white pepper to the infusion.
No common top-eight allergens. Not vegan (contains honey). Gluten-free. Lavender is in the mint family (Lamiaceae) — those with known mint family sensitivities should use with caution. Honey should not be given to children under one year of age.