Lavender Colada: new twist on old cocktail recipe

Readers of these posts will remember that the cocktails in the list of Top 10 Summer Cooler Cocktails were all pretty simple to throw together. An urge for something different led to the mixing and enjoyment of some Piña Coladas the other evening. The Piña Colada is a delicious cocktail, especially if you enjoy sweeter cocktails, rum-based cocktails, or tiki cocktails. Enjoying my first, long sip, my eye fell upon two bottles of vodka that were being infused: one with lavender and the other with lavender and vanilla. (If you have lavender in your yard, now is the time (in northern Utah, anyway) to be making lavender-infused liquors and syrups.) Could either of them replace rum in a Piña Colada? How would they taste? Would anyone want to drink a Lavender Colada? Questions like these demand answers, so my “to do” list for the following evening was set. I tried this drink with both types of infused vodka, going back and forth several times (being an amateur mixologist is a dirty job, but…), and the plain lavender came out on top. The vanilla-lavender just didn’t seem to have the right finish to me, but if you enjoy infused vodkas, try the comparison yourself and let me know what you think.

I like to use Coco Reál® Cream of Coconut for my cocoanut drinks, it’s so thick and creamy. On the other hand, if you measure it it’s almost impossible to get all of it out of your measuring glass, so I tend to “guestimate” the amount and just use one or two good squirts directly from the squeeze bottle into the mixing cup or blender, depending on how much is needed. The lazy (i.e. those who don’t want to wash the blender) can build this cocktail in a highball glass. The Coco Reál might not completely dissolve if you’re just stirring, so you should stir only the liquid ingredients briskly until there are no lumps before adding ice to ensure the cocktail is well mixed. This is not a problem, however, if you’re using a blender.

Lavender Colada

2 oz Lavender infused Vodka

½ - 1 oz Coco Reál® Cream of Coconut

4 oz Pineapple juice

Combine the ingredients in a highball glass and stir well to dissolve the Coco Reál. Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir again. (To blend, just combine the ingredients with ice in a blender.) Garnish with a sprig of lavender (in bloom if possible), plop a bright red maraschino cherry on top, and serve with a straw.