Lavendar Lemonade with Vodka and Lillet Blanc

Source: designsponge.com via Hollie on Pinterest

This Lavendar Lemonade from Designsponge is not only worth the effort, it is gorgeous to look at and the taste is incredible! I love using lavendar at weddings, use it as garnish in drinks, tie a tiny bouquet at each placesetting, or have your guests toss lavendar instead of confetti (or all of the above).

Lavendar is eco-friendly and smells oh so good!

Recipe below is from Designsponge.  Be sure to visit their site for other great ideas for your wedding.

Not up to making your own lavendar lemonade? Head to your local Wegman's and buy some Adina Organics French Inspired Lavender Lemonade Juice (14 fl oz) ready made, just add some organic lavendar. Not quite as pretty as the above mixture and without the kick, but you can alwasy add those yourself too! Just be sure any lavendar you use is organic, you don't want to ingest pesticides!

Lavendar Lemonade Recipe from Designsponge.com:

INGREDIENTS:

Glass:

1.5oz Vodka (Ciroc seems appropriate but we used a local Pennsylvania vodka)
1.5oz Lillet Blanc
1oz Lavender Syrup (recipe below)
1oz Lemon Juice
2oz Chilled Soda Water
French Lavender Flower for Garnish

OR

Pitcher (makes 4 glasses):

3/4 Cups Vodka
3/4 Cups Lillet Blanc
1/2 Cup Lavender Syrup
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Chilled Soda Water for each glass
French Lavender Flower for Garnish

Lavender Syrup:
Add equal parts sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Add fresh organic French lavender to taste (or 1/2 cup dried food grade lavender for every 4 cups water/4 cups sugar) and boil for one minute over medium/high heat. Remove from heat and let steep for an hour.
Drink:
Mix first four ingredients with spoon, pour over ice, add chilled soda water and garnish with lavender flower (or lemon wedges if you can’t find fresh organic lavender).

8 Different Ways To Give Your Lemonade A Boost!

Source: ohthelovelythings.blogspot.fr via Audrey on Pinterest

Peach Lemonade!

Source: mirchmasala.me via Tressy on Pinterest

Peach lemonade? I must admit I'd never heard of it until I found this fabulous idea by Mirch Masala! How good does this look? Great to serve at your wedding or shower during peach season!

Ingredients:

Peaches ( or nectarines) – 2 or 3, depending on how big/small they are

Lemon – 5 ( use more or less depending on the level of sourness you need)

Sugar – about 4-5 tbsp or as per your need for sweetness

Water

Crushed ice

For exact directions go to Mirch Masala. Fall in love with this great summer drink (and the rest of the website! You can add some alcohol if you must but this is one drink that really is great 'as is.'

Set Up a DIY Champagne Bar

Pizzazzerie suggsted this interesting option for a signature drink.  It's pretty, it's pink and it's a combination of champagne and fruit juice.  Set up your own DIY champagne bar for an elegant option to your usual open bar.  Give your guests a simple but elegant option of sweet cocktails that are a combination of juices like pomegranite, cranberry or other juices mixed with some champagne.  By letting guests make their own cocktails they can opt for simple champagne or add some fruit juices for a more creative drink option.  Give your guests some fresh fruit or berries to add to the rim of their drink, and add some pretty striped straws, (the ones Pizzazzerie showed were from Shop Sweet Lulu.)  You could also make your own drink stirrers or find come on Etsy that coordinate with your wedding colors.  To finish off the DIY champagne bar add possible recipes  and frame them on matte board.  So a few cases of champagne, some juices, elegant glasses with pretty stirrers all add up to an elegant DIY champagne bar that will please both the taste buds of your guests and be pleasing to the eye.  It's the small touches of the recipes and the straws and stirrers that take this DIY bar from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Photo by Rebecca Wood Photography via The Caketress Blog

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream

Bailey's Cream afficionados know just how expensive it can be, but it is soooo sooo good! Consider making your own from this great recipe.  Share it with friends and family.  It's easy to make and keeps up to 2 months.  The recipe came from the discussion board on Chowhound where it was posted in response to a recipe that used eggs.  I don't know about you but the idea of using eggs in this drink is... a tad repulsive!

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream

1 C light cream (I used heavy whipping cream, which made it even richer)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 2/3 C Irish whiskey (I used Jameson's)

1 t instant coffee

2 T Hershey's chocolate syrup (I used Torani (this isn't the flavored Torani for Italian Sodas, it's a chocolate sauce)

1 t vanilla

1 t almond extract (I skipped this entirely but feel free to taste test and make your own decisions)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and set on high speed for 30 seconds.

Bottle in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. Shake before using

Will Keep up to 2 months.