Though it wears the guise of an unassuming neighborhood bar in Sunnyslope, Butler’s Easy takes its cocktail program mighty seriously, turning out beautiful, sometimes geeky drinks like the exquisite Lavender Fog. Served in a dainty white teacup with a garnish of lavender pods, this smooth-as-silk clarified cocktail, made with lavender-infused gin, lavender brandy, Earl Grey tea, amber honey, lemon juice and a vanilla bean milk wash, looks – as its name suggests – like dreamy fog in an ethereal shade of lavender. Lead bartender Arel Pierce came up with this beauty – inspired by the classic London Fog – by adding milk, which curdles and binds to impurities when added to the cocktail. The curds are then filtered out, leaving a clear, clarified liquid with a silky, refined mouthfeel and greater depth of flavor.
Those of a feminine persuasion may consider bathing in this luscious elixir. What’s more, it smells and tastes like lavender, too – floral and ever so faintly sweet, with hints of vanilla, mint and rosemary. Topped with a lavender foam so good you could (and should) lick the cup, it’s a highly unusual bevvie that, to his great loss, the average man will never touch with a 10-foot pole.
Find the full recipe for this labor-intensive cocktail below, but try one in its natural habitat at Butler’s Easy first.
Butler’s Easy
8375 N. Seventh St., Phoenix
602-314- 4484, butlerseasy.co
Recipe: Lavender Fog
To make the tea: Boil 3 cups of water and steep 6 teabags of Earl Grey tea. Set aside and let cool.
Heat 3 cups in a pan over high heat with 2 dashes vanilla extract and a small piece of vanilla bean (squeeze center out of pod). Simmer until steaming; do not let the mixture boil
While milk is heating, make cocktail base:
- *1 bottle lavender gin
- 2 cups lemon juice
- 1 cup honey syrup (simple syrup made with honey in 1:1 ratio)
- 1 cup lavender brandy (available at liquor stores)
- 3 cups Earl Grey tea
Pour simmered milk mixture into cocktail base. Set aside and let rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
Strain mixture through a cheesecloth so no remnants are left (which could take up to 30 minutes). Store mixture in fridge to chill. Do not shake.
For cream topping: Add 1 oz heavy whipping cream and ½ oz simple syrup (1:1) to a foamer if you have one. Otherwise, put the mixture in an enclosed container and vigorously shake for one minute.
Makes 13 cocktails.
Pour cocktail mixture into teacup, then pour the foamy whipped cream over the top and garnish with lavender pods.
