Ever dreamt of capturing the essence of lilacs and infusing it into your favorite drinks? Good news—now you can! Making lilac syrup (or lilac cordial, if you’re feeling fancy) is a breeze and only requires three ingredients (plus water). Get ready to elevate your summer cocktails and mocktails with this floral delight.
Spring has arrived, bringing with it the enchanting scent of blooming lilacs. This is the perfect time to make lilac syrup, a sweet and delicate treat with a unique, flowery taste. While it takes a bit of time to develop the flavors, the most time-consuming part is picking those lovely little flowers.
Why I love this recipe and lilacs
Flower syrup was never something I thought I’d make. In my daydreams, I imagine myself as a perfect homemaker in a charming house, with everything just right for my family. I picture myself in a pink dress, twirling in the spring breeze, inviting a new neighbor over, saying, “Come on in, let’s get to know each other! I just made some lemonade with homemade lilac syrup!”
It sounds idyllic, and surprisingly, making lilac syrup is quite simple. The most tedious part is picking the flowers from the branches, but you can always enlist the help of your kids or watch your favorite series while you work. If possible, use purple lilacs, which have a stronger scent, but white lilacs with their delicate aroma work well too.
Personally, I used purple lilacs for my syrup because they were what I found growing wild. I needed more than 30 grams of flowers and let them steep for a long time to bring out the flavor. Since I picked them in the rain, some of their essence had already washed away. The key is to use what you have and adjust as needed. It’s really quite straightforward!
Making lilac syrup is a delightful way to capture the essence of spring and enjoy the unique flavor of these beautiful flowers. So gather your lilacs, and let’s make some syrup!
Ingredients
- 30 to 50 g of lilac flowers
- 500 mL of water
- 450 g of white sugar any other sugar will have a taste that is too strong and will erase the taste of lilac
- a few blackberries, blueberries or blackcurrant berries, frozen if possible optional: helps color the syrup
- 1 good tbsp. teaspoon of lemon juice
How to make lilac cordial
- To begin, select your lilac flowers: the lighter they are, the more you will need. You can therefore stop at 30g of purple flowers, or go up to 50g of white flowers.
- Choose open flowers and avoid those that are too damaged. Be careful to only harvest flowers, without a small piece of green stem at their base (the latter has a bitter taste).
- Once your flowers are ready, immerse them in water and rinse them under a very gentle stream of water so as not to damage them. Drain them.
- Prepare a saucepan: pour in the water and sugar.
- Add the frozen fruit if you want. It’s optional, but it gives a beautiful mauve/pink color to the syrup, which otherwise will have a brown color.
- Place your saucepan over medium heat to bring the syrup to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, wait for the boiling to stop, then add the lilac flowers. Mix.
- Cover and leave to macerate: first wait for the syrup to cool completely, then put your pan in the fridge.
- You can let the flowers steep for between 3 hours and 48 hours (no more), depending on the intensity of your flowers or the intensity you want for your syrup. Taste after 3 hours, then after 5 hours, etc., until you get the desired taste. Don’t hesitate to add a handful of flowers after 8 hours if you still find the taste too light.
- For my part, I let it infuse for 48 hours and added a handful of flowers in the meantime.
- After 48 hours, or when the syrup is to your taste, it is time to filter it: take it out of the fridge, and filter everything through a fine strainer. You should get about 0.7 liters of syrup.
- Don’t throw away the flowers! You can add them to yogurt, a cake…
- Add the lemon juice (very important for preservation), mix, filter again. Pour into a CLEAN glass bottle and seal.
- You can keep this syrup in the fridge for up to 2 months, and use it to make a little cold syrup, a cocktail, punch up a dessert, make a water ice cream…
If you want to keep your syrup longer
- You will need clean jars (no need to sterilize them, just put them in the dishwasher), and new or defect-free lids.
- Fill your pots up to 2 centimeters from the edge and close them, without forcing.
- In a large saucepan, boil a large quantity of water (enough to submerge the jars).
- When the water is boiling, immerse your closed jars in it (they must be upright in the pan). Leave them to sterilize in this way for 10 minutes.
- Take out your hot pots and be very careful. Let them cool at room temperature at least overnight.
- You can now keep them for at least 6 months in a cupboard.
Non-Alcoholic Delights
Lilac Soda: Mix lilac syrup with club soda or seltzer and serve over ice. Voilà! You’ve got a refreshing homemade soda that’s as pretty as it is tasty.
Lilac Lemonade: Sweeten your lemonade with lilac syrup instead of sugar. It’s like drinking sunshine in a glass.
Lilac Iced Tea: Sweeten lilac flower tea or any tea of your choice with lilac syrup and serve over ice. Summer in a cup!
Lilac Cucumber Cooler: Replace mint syrup with lilac syrup in your favorite Cucumber Lemonade recipe. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.
Cocktails with a Floral Twist
Lilac Gin Fizz: Try it in my Lilac Gin Fizz recipe for an easy and refreshing summer cocktail.
Lilac Mojito:
- 3 mint leaves
- 1/2 oz lilac syrup
- 2 oz white rum
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- Club soda to top
Muddle mint with lilac syrup in a shaker. Add rum, lime juice, and ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass over lilac ice cubes. Top with club soda and garnish with a mint sprig, lilac floret, and lime wheel.
Lilac Margarita:
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz lilac syrup
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a kosher salt rim (optional).
Lilac Collins:
- 2 oz dry gin
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz lilac syrup
- Club soda to top
Add gin, lemon juice, and lilac syrup to a Collins glass. Fill with lilac ice cubes, top with club soda, and stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel and lilac floret.
Lilac Gimlet:
- 2-1/2 oz gin
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz lilac syrup
Add gin, lime juice, and lilac syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and lilac floret.
