For Perfect Springtime Cocktails, Infuse Your Simple Syrup With This Flower

Sugar syrup is a versatile kitchen staple we should keep in our fridge at all times. From plain simple syrup to flavored ones, they are a quick way to add sweetness to cocktails, coffee and tea, and fresh fruit salads. They can also serve as a base for sorbets and granitas, can be drizzled over pancakes and cakes, or be brushed atop pastries. When it comes to infusing simple syrup, there are myriad flavors that can be obtained with fruits, flowers, and spices, and one that might be overlooked and definitely underrated is chamomile. 

A chamomile syrup will add a subtle floral touch to your springtime cocktails almost effortlessly. The petite, dainty chamomile flower has been valued as an ingredient with culinary and medicinal applications for centuries, as it's rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that aid with sleep and digestion. Its mild, sweet taste and aroma add a soothing flavor to infusions, whether as a hot tea before bedtime, a fresh, floral addition to iced tea, or in place of simple or flavored syrup in your cocktails and mocktails.

Infusing sugar syrup with chamomile is easy. You can follow this recipe for lavender syrup, substituting fresh or dried chamomile for the lavender. If you want to use tea bags, use six to eight bags per cup of water and sugar (at a 1:1 rate), adding the bags after the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is off the heat. Steep for about 10 minutes, then discard the bags and let the syrup cool. For extra convenience, you can order Celestial Seasonings chamomile tea from Amazon. You can also make the syrup with honey instead of sugar for a richer floral flavor.

Think about refreshing, light cocktails with subtle flavors to use with your chamomile syrup, since the flavor of the flower is very mild. For instance, add the chamomile syrup to this grapefruit and rosemary white wine spritzer, omitting the rosemary for an easy herbal swap that will also add a hint of sweetness to the cocktail. If you like cocktails and spritzes with elderflower liqueurs, you might try substituting that ingredient with the chamomile syrup, although you may need to experiment a bit (which is loads of fun anyway!) to get the ratios and sweetness right. 

Here's a cool bright and floral French blonde cocktail recipe to get you started. Although a bit more elaborate, this herbaceous limoncello punch would also work if you substitute the simple syrup for your chamomile-infused syrup. In fact, you could try this swap in any of your favorite cocktails, as long as the flavors are not too strong to overwhelm and mask the delicate flavor of the chamomile. For instance, a lime margarita might be too much, but a chamomile honey-gin Bee's Knees cocktail might be just the thing. 

Simple cocktails with few ingredients will work best to keep the chamomile flavor shining through. If you're a fan of whiskey and bourbon, a whiskey sour is a great drink for the spring, and, as it turns out, chamomile and bourbon make a surprisingly good pairing in an old-fashioned. Although whiskey and bourbon cocktails are more often paired with herbs such as rosemary and sage, give a chamomile-infused syrup a go with a fresh take on this simple syrup-infused whiskey sour to brighten it up for the sunny season.