Fruit, wine, and sunshine. These are things that Naramata is known for, and we’re wanting to share some of these flavours with you at home. Every month, we’ll bring you a recipe straight from one of Naramata’s talented restaurants or tasting rooms.

In honour of the end of blossom season, we’re bringing you a tasty cocktail straight from the Naramata Inn’s bartender, Nic VanBergen.

What tastes more like spring than fresh flowers? With so many fragrant blooms bursting this spring, it’s the perfect time to capture their perfumed flavours by turning the blossoms into a tasty syrup. Flower syrups add a hint of flavour to all kinds of dishes, and can be made with edible species such as roses, hibiscus, lavender, elderflower and chamomile.

At Naramata Inn, Chef Ned and the entire culinary team are inspired by eating great ingredients, sourced locally. This simple recipe will have you enjoying and sharing a “taste of your place,” as local as your own garden or backyard.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups of syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup of apricot blossoms (or your choice of edible flowers)
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

Method:

Snip blossoms loose from the stem, and discard the rest. (If you’re using a larger flower, just use the petals.) Gently wash under cool water and set aside.
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue stirring over heat until the liquid is thick, lightly-coloured and bubbling around the edges.
Remove from the heat, sprinkle flowers directly into the simple syrup, and leave to steep for a minimum of 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours). This is an ideal time to add other ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon, rosemary, cardamom, or citrus zest. Lemon is traditionally used with elderflowers.
Remove from heat, strain and allow mixture to cool. Syrup can be stored in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Serving Suggestions:

Create a signature cocktail – such as an Apricot Blossom cocktail.
- At the Naramata Inn, Bartender Nic used;
  - 1.5oz Devine Distillery’s Beekeeper’s Reserve Honey Shine
  - .5oz Mia Amata amaro
  - .75oz apricot blossom syrup
  - .5oz verjus
  - 4 dash cardamom bitters
Add to lemonade, iced tea, sparkling water or sparkling wine
Flavour whipped cream, ice cream, or drizzle over a syrup cake

Blossom Safety Tips:

Make sure the flower you’re using is edible for humans, and that no pesticides have been used on them.
Use only fresh flowers in good condition, with no signs of wilting, browning or disease.

Inspired? Find more of bartender Nic’s amazing cocktails at the Restaurant at Naramata Inn, as well as downstairs at the new wine bar, Eliza.

Recipe posted with permission from Naramata Inn.

Original recipe available at https://naramatainn.com/apricot-blossom-cocktail/