Lavender Lemonade for Litha & Hot Buttered Rum for Yule! (Patreon)

Hey witches! Here are two recipes you could try for either Litha in the Northern Hemisphere or Yule in the Southern Hemisphere! Which one of these recipes do you want to try? The sources for both of these recipes are listed below.

This Lavender Mint Vodka Lemonade is a super easy, incredibly refreshing summer cocktail. It’s made with 5 simple ingredients: vodka, lemonade, lavender infused simple syrup, fresh mint, and soda water. It can be made into a pitcher-style cocktail for a crowd, too!

FOR THE COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS, WE’VE GOT:

- lavender simple syrup

- soda water

- lemonade

- vodka

- mint

- lemon slices

Seriously SO simple. I’d recommend using a really good quality, fresh lemonade (the kind with the pulp in it!), instead of that concentrated stuff. Fresh lemonade makes allll the difference here!

It all starts with the simplest (no pun intended) simple syrup! It’s infused with culinary lavender (if you’ve never cooked with it, it’s just dried lavender, and you can use it in things like desserts & drinks!) and this is the kind I use!

I usually just shake these up individually with a cocktail shaker, but you can 100% make them pitcher-style for a crowd too! You can just measure out all the ingredients in the quantities you need, stir everything together in a pitcher, and chill it until you’re ready to serve! (I’d save the soda water and the ice for the very end – just so it stays bubbly and doesn’t get watered down!)

Ingredients

For the cocktail

- 2 ounces vodka

- 4 ounces lemonade

- 1 1/2 ounces lavender simple syrup

- splash of club soda (1-2 ounces, or to taste)

- crushed ice

small handful of mint leaves

- lemon slices

For the lavender simple syrup

- 1 cup water

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender

Instructions

Make the simple syrup. Bring the water, sugar, and lavender to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for a minute or so until sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely, then strain and discard lavender.

To make the cocktail, add a small handful of torn mint leaves to a glass and fill the glass with crushed ice. Add a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, lemonade, and lavender simple syrup. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into the glass. Top off with a splash of club soda and garnish with a lemon slice and a spring of fresh mint.

Recipe Notes

*This is the lavender I use!

*Make sure you're using good quality, fresh lemonade (the kind with the pulp in it!) It makes all the difference.

*You can omit the vodka to make this non-alcoholic!

*To make these pitcher-style for a crowd, I'd measure all of the cocktail ingredients out for how many people you want to make them for, add everything to a pitcher, and chill the mixture in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, add the soda water, crushed ice, some extra mint, lemon slices, and serve! (And you may need to double or triple the simple syrup depending on how many people you're making them for!)

Hot Buttered Rum for Yule

A warm cup of buttered rum on a chilly winter night can really hit the spot, and this recipe is super easy to make. Leave the rum out if you like, and give it to your kiddos before they hit the sack on Yule!

Buttered rum was a popular recipe in colonial America, and it's easy to see why: It is excellent. You can brew this up in your crockpot, ladle out a nice big mug and sit by the fire on a chilly winter evening. It's the perfect warm drink for your Yule celebrations. If you leave out the rum, your kids can enjoy it too.

Ingredients

- 2 quarts apple juice

- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

- 1 stick butter (use the real stuff, not margarine)

- 3 tbsp. cinnamon

- 1 tsp. ground cloves

- 1 tsp. nutmeg

- 2 cups your favorite rum

- Refrigerated whipped dessert topping

- Cinnamon sticks and nutmeg for garnish

1.) Warm up the apple juice and brown sugar in a pot.

2.) Add the butter (dice up the stick before you put it in there, so it'll melt faster). Stir until the butter is melted.

3.) Add the spices and the rum. Cover the pot and allow to simmer on low for up to four hours.

4.) Ladle into mugs for serving. Top each with a dollop of whipped topping and a cinnamon stick.

5.) Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.

Sources:

Wigington, Patti. "Magical Recipes for Yule." Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/yule-cooking-and-recipes-2562933.

https://www.spicesinmydna.com/lavender-mint-vodka-lemonade/