Happy Sunday eve, everyone. We are watching Game of Thrones and I feel an addiction coming on.

Dave and I had a very busy and fun weekend. We had our first u-pick trip of the season. We went up to Sauvie Island and picked blueberries, strawberries and two kinds of raspberries. The strawberries have already become jam, because they were quite ripe. Some of the blueberries became pancakes and part of pancake syrup. And much more to come!

We ended the day tonight with this simple and elegant cocktail, the Bees Knees. In its original recipe, it’s just three ingredients: honey, gin and lemon juice. I added some lavender to give it a fun twist.

Something that’s especially nice about such simple cocktails is how they allow the gin to shine. That’s especially true of this one.

Here’s what you need:
2 oz. gin (recommended: Dogwood Distilling Union Gin)
1/2 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. lavender honey syrup

Lavender honey syrup:
1/2 oz. hot water
1/2 tsp. dried lavender
1/2 oz. honey (recommended: Bee Local honey)

To begin, make the lavender honey syrup: mix the dried lavender with the hot water and allow to steep for five minutes. Spoon the lavender buds out of the water, then mix the infused water and honey together briskly with a fork.

Fill a shaker with ice, then add 3/4 oz. of the honey syrup, the gin and lemon juice. Shake until the shaker is so cold, you can barely hold it. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a stem of lavender.