Butterfly pea flowers are beautiful flowers native to Southeast Asia, popular for their brilliant blue pigment and most commonly seen brewed as tea. However, their natural blue color can easily be infused into spirits and syrups and has become an exciting addition to the repertoire of both cocktail and zero-proof mixologists and home bartenders across the world.
Infusing the flowers produces a deep blue hue, but adding citrus juice changes the color to purple. Watching your drink change colors before your eyes is half the fun!
Photo by @steph.achter
Sparkling Butterfly Pea Lemonade Recipe:
1.5 oz butterfly pea flower syrup
1.5 oz lemon juice
Garnish: fresh or dehydrated citrus
Stir all ingredients together in a glass with ice and garnish. (To achieve the best gradient effect, stir the syrup, soda and ice together first, then top with the lemon juice.)
Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup: In a small pot, combine 1.5 tbsp butterfly pea flowers, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the flowers steep another 20 minutes before straining into a clean glass container. Keep refrigerated.