Lavender Martini

Method

1. **Chill the glass.** Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or fill with ice water while you make the drink.
2. **Combine and shake.** Add gin, vermouth, lavender syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds — the lemon juice needs the aeration.
3. **Strain.** Double-strain (through both the shaker's strainer and a fine-mesh sieve) into the chilled glass. This catches any ice chips and gives you a crystal-clear drink.
4. **Garnish** with a lavender sprig laid across the rim, or a long lemon twist spiraling down the inside of the glass.
5. *Note:** Lavender is potent. If your syrup is strong, start with ¼ oz and taste. You want a hint of floral, not a mouthful of perfume.
6. *Variations:**
7. **Classic Dry Martini**: Omit the lavender syrup and lemon juice. Stir gin and vermouth with ice, strain, garnish with an olive or lemon twist.
8. **Lavender Bee's Knees**: Replace the simple syrup with lavender honey syrup. Increase lemon juice to ¾ oz. Omit vermouth.
9. *Storage:** Lavender syrup keeps 2 weeks refrigerated.