Lavender Sapphire Collins

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a collins glass, add the gin, lemon juice, and lavender syrup.

3. Stir and fill with ice.

4. Top with club soda.

5. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve and enjoy.

The Base Spirit: This recipe was created by Bombay Sapphire and it really is a lovely gin for the cocktail. The botanicals are nicely balanced and soft enough to allow the lavender to peak through the mix. Yet, it is not the only gin that will work here.

Feel free to test your favorite gins in this cocktail as it is as versatile as the Tom Collins. Many of the newer, non-traditional gins like Hendrick's and especially Aviation are perfect candidates as well.

Beyond the gin, you can switch out the base spirit for another liquor if you like. If you're a fan of vodka, try that. Rum and tequila will also work nicely, and you might even find the right whiskey with a very soft profile (i.e., a blended Canadian whiskey) that will not overpower the lavender. In true 'Collins' drink fashion, the choices are endless.

The Herbal Syrup: Use this recipe and the syrup as inspiration for bringing your favorite herbs into the Collins formula. Rosemary or a blend of lavender and rosemary are two places to begin but don't stop there.

• Give it more of a citrus herbal taste with a syrup infusion of lemongrass or lemon balm.

• Turn the drink into a refreshing cooler with a mint simple syrup.

• Take more of a savory approach with a basil syrup or a parsley-lemon syrup.

• Choose another soft floral by creating a chamomile syrup with a hint of orange peel.

Essentially, if you can grow a herb in your garden, it has strong potential in a syrup and in this drink.