Sipper of the Week: Loft Lavender Cello and Herbal Pleasures

I have been infatuated with herbs since I married into a family whose matriarch was a master herb gardener and she taught me everything I wanted to know about growing and using all sorts of herbs. Since diving into the wonderful world of mixology I have been experimenting with a wide variety of herbal concoctions and a handful have worked out really well. However, most of the time those drinks require some homemade mixers to work and while I love ingredients straight out of the garden, they are not always attainable. That is why I created an herbal cocktail, Herbal Pleasures, that incorporates these tastes straight out of commercially-available bottles.

The cocktail is a celebration of countless herbs because its taste depends on the gin brand's recipe which you choose to pour (I do suggest a London Dry but have found that the cucumber of Hendrick's makes things equally interesting) and the secret recipe of Yellow Chartreuse (arguably the best herbal liqueur ever, IMHO), but the one sure fire flavor is lavender. This is because I have found that Loft Lavender Cello is an awesome source for year-round lavender and upon my first taste I knew this had many special places in cocktails. In Herbal Pleasures it not only adds that relaxing taste of lavender, but balances out the dryness of the other spirits with it's sweetness that is not overbearing but not transparent. I also prefer to go with a lemon twist garnish here, although a sprig of lavender may seem the natural choice. This is because the lemon brings in a tart citrus touch that none of the ingredients have, again, all bringing a balance to the drink.

Herbal Pleasures cocktail recipe...