Don’t fall for those purple dyed infusions on other sites! This lavender infused vodka recipe steeps REAL culinary-grade lavender into vodka to create a uniquely floral vodka that’s perfect for your at-home happy hours or springtime soirees.
Lavender is having a moment in the beverage world. When you’ve been making homemade drinks for over 10 years, you see these “it-flavors” cycle in and out of the spotlight. You’re likely to see this purple flower pop up at local coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, but did you know it’s super easy to experiment with floral flavors at home?
Spring brings a bevy of fresh flavors with the seasonal change, and one of the most notable flavors that tend to sprout up in the spring are floral flavors, like lavender. This recipe was inspired by my collection of floral flavored syrup infusions, like this lavender honey simple syrup. I’ve also got a selection of liquor infusion recipes to choose from. Infusions are a favorite cooking method around here for a reason: they’re easy!!!
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: This recipe hits The Intrigue, The Wow Mom and The Feels, using culinary grade lavender for a truly spectacular infusion that is ready for any special cocktail moment!
🎯 the method: Infuse dried lavender buds in quality vodka for up to 3 days, then strain and store your home infused vodka.
🏆 the win: No more funky artificially flavored drinks, you’re using the REAL DEAL now! You can make as much or as little as you like, and you
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 step-by-step process for making lavender vodka
1: Place dried lavender into a large glass jar.
2: Pour in your vodka.
3: Seal the jar & give it a good shake. Place it in a cool dark place out of direct sunlight. Shake the jar every day or every other day for 3 days.
4: After 3 days, give your vodka a taste. If it’s not a strong enough lavender flavor for you, you can infuse it up to 5 days.
5: Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth and place it overtop a measuring glass that can hold at least 16 ounces, and strain the lavender out of the vodka.
6: Bottle it in an airtight container. Store for up to 6 months. Place it out of direct sunlight to best preserve the flavor.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ how to serve your lavender vodka
- in cocktails – use this vodka in cocktails like a lavender vodka gimlet or a lavender vodka lemonade.
- on the rocks – no need to mix up a fancy schmancy libation! You can enjoy this infusion on the rocks with a twist of lemon, lime, or even an orange slice.
- in baking recipes – kick up your cakes with a glazing of this vodka!
- gifting – this is a great gift for family and friends, especially at springtime parties or gatherings. You can even make your own cocktail kits and put a small bottle of this vodka in the baskets— talk about adorable!!!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- taste test – give your vodka a taste test after each day of infusing. It will be strong! It may be pungent! But what you’re looking for is a nice “essence” of floral flavor without being too “perfume-like.”
- bitter – it’s also possible that you let your infusion sit for too long, leaving you with a bitter taste in your mouth. You can add a few tablespoonfuls of sugar to help balance out the bitter taste. You can also add more vodka to your infusion to help lessen the lavender flavor, 1/4 cup at a time.
- use the right flowers – in case you missed it during one of the million times I mentioned it, make sure to use culinary grade dried lavender in this infusion. Fresh lavender isn’t as flavorful, and there are tons of varieties of lavender out there. Not all flowers are safe for eating! Additionally, fresh lavender can impart a bitter flavor to recipes.
- soapy – lavender can taste soapy to some people, similar to cilantro! This can be a personal preference, or it can do with the variety of lavender you’re using, or the strength of the flavor of the flower buds.
- not enough lavender flavor – if after 3 days, your vodka doesn’t have as strong as a flavor as you like, you can infuse it again with a few more teaspoons of lavender. Resist the urge to infuse for longer, because that can lead to bitter-tasting vodka.
⚖️ scaling tips
You can easily cut this recipe in half or double it, if you don’t want to make the entire recipe, or if you need more for a party!
♻️ customize your lavender vodka infusion
- swap the liquor – You can use almost any clear liquor for this recipe, it doesn’t have to be vodka. Gin is a liquor that plays well with botanical flavors like lavender. Silver tequila would also be great, as would white rum! You can even infuse bourbon or whiskey with lavender!
- add fruit – blueberry and lavender go very well together! Adding some blueberries to your liquor and lavender mixture will give you a great flavor. Check out these posts about infusing strawberries in tequila or watermelon in tequila for more information about fruit infusions.
- add herbs or spices – add in other herbs or spices, like vanilla beans, thyme, or ginger, to make your own variation on this infusion! If you do add more spices, make sure to continue to taste your vodka after each day it infuses. Once it reaches the flavor you like, strain out the herbs or spices and discard them.
- color match – if you simply MUST have purple vodka, you can use a few drops of food coloring to dye your vodka purplish.
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store home-infused vodka
You can store your vodka at room temperature since dried lavender is shelf stable. In order to better preserve the flavor, keep it out of direct sunlight. I prefer to store my infusions in the fridge so I don’t forget about them on the back of the liquor shelf.
You can store your homemade infusions for up to 6 months without loss of flavor. After that time, the flavor will slowly start to degrade in intensity.
💬 q+a
Where can I get culinary grade dried lavender?
I buy mine online from Amazon, but you can also find it in local specialty stores. Sometimes I’ve even seen it in the spice aisle in my local grocery store! Just be sure it is dried lavender that is able to be consumed, so food-grade or culinary-grade!
Why is my infusion bitter?
If you infuse your liquor for too long, it can be bitter in flavor. You can add more vodka, or you can add some sugar or simple syrup to balance out the bitterness.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Lavender Infused Vodka
Wanna save this recipe for later? 📬
I’ll email this recipe post to you so you can have it for later!
Equipment
- 1 large glass jar
- 1 cheesecloth
- 1 fine mesh sieve
- 1 kitchen scale or measuring spoons
- 1 airtight storage container
Ingredients
- 7 g dried lavender culinary grade, 3 TBSP
- 16 ounces vodka such as Titos or Absolut
Instructions
- Measure out lavender. Weigh (or measure out) dried lavender into a large glass jar.7 g dried lavender
- Add vodka. Pour in the vodka over the dried lavender buds.16 ounces vodka
- Seal + shake. Seal the jar & give it a good shake.
- Infuse. Place it in a cool dark place out of direct sunlight.
- Gently shake every 24 hours. Shake the jar every day or every other day for 3 days.
- Taste + adjust. After 3 days, give your vodka a taste. It will be very strong, but you should taste the floral notes. If it’s not a strong enough lavender flavor for you, you can infuse it up to 5 days.
- Strain. Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth and place it overtop a measuring glass that can hold at least 16 ounces, and strain the lavender out of the vodka.
- Store. Bottle it in an airtight container and store for up to 6 months. Place it out of direct sunlight to best preserve the flavor.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- taste test – give your vodka a taste test after each day of infusing. It will be strong! It may be pungent! But what you’re looking for is a nice “essence” of floral flavor without being too “perfume-like.”
- bitter – it’s also possible that you let your infusion sit for too long, leaving you with a bitter taste in your mouth. You can add a few tablespoonfuls of sugar to help balance out the bitter taste. You can also add more vodka to your infusion to help lessen the lavender flavor, 1/4 cup at a time.
- use the right flowers – in case you missed it during one of the million times I mentioned it, make sure to use culinary grade dried lavender in this infusion. Fresh lavender isn’t as flavorful, and there are tons of varieties of lavender out there. Not all flowers are safe for eating! Additionally, fresh lavender can impart a bitter flavor to recipes.
- soapy – lavender can taste soapy to some people, similar to cilantro! This can be a personal preference, or it can do with the variety of lavender you’re using, or the strength of the flavor of the flower buds.
- not enough lavender flavor – if after 3 days, your vodka doesn’t have as strong as a flavor as you like, you can infuse it again with a few more teaspoons of lavender. Resist the urge to infuse for longer, because that can lead to bitter-tasting vodka.
🍽️ how to serve your lavender vodka
- in cocktails – use this vodka in cocktails like a lavender vodka gimlet or a lavender vodka lemonade.
- on the rocks – no need to mix up a fancy schmancy libation! You can enjoy this infusion on the rocks with a twist of lemon, lime, or even an orange slice.
- in baking recipes – kick up your cakes with a glazing of this vodka!
- gifting – this is a great gift for family and friends, especially at springtime parties or gatherings. You can even make your own cocktail kits and put a small bottle of this vodka in the baskets— talk about adorable!!!
♻️ customize your lavender vodka infusion
- swap the liquor – You can use almost any clear liquor for this recipe, it doesn’t have to be vodka. Gin is a liquor that plays well with botanical flavors like lavender. Silver tequila would also be great, as would white rum! You can even infuse bourbon or whiskey with lavender!
- add fruit – blueberry and lavender go very well together! Adding some blueberries to your liquor and lavender mixture will give you a great flavor. Check out these posts about infusing strawberries in tequila or watermelon in tequila for more information about fruit infusions.
- add herbs or spices – add in other herbs or spices, like vanilla beans, thyme, or ginger, to make your own variation on this infusion! If you do add more spices, make sure to continue to taste your vodka after each day it infuses. Once it reaches the flavor you like, strain out the herbs or spices and discard them.
- color match – if you simply MUST have purple vodka, you can use a few drops of food coloring to dye your vodka purplish.
