Some cocktails are tailor-made for mocktail form, such as this Virgin Mary or a margarita, where the strong supporting flavors can carry a drink without proper alcohol. Others, such as the martini or gin and tonic, require a formidable substitute for the gin or vodka that’s missing. To that end, a few products have come on the market to make up for the key ingredients in something like this lavender cocktail, which in previous incarnations has relied on gin as its main ingredient.
Luckily, the lavender syrup provides the requisite flavor and mask to lift the gin-alternative (a benign peppery zero-proof gin-like concoction that has just enough edge to trick the tongue into half-believing it’s the real deal) and it’s really all about that lavender flavor anyway.
It’s also about presentation and appearance, and a single lavender stalk to lend enchantment to a summer afternoon cocktail hour. The real gin is hardly missed at all.
