Butterfly Recipe

Make simple lavender syrup

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer.

Add 2 tablespoons culinary dried lavender to the simmering syrup, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer for 2–3 minutes to bloom the aroma (do not boil vigorously).

Remove saucepan from heat and let the lavender steep in the syrup for 10–15 minutes (longer for stronger lavender).

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lavender blossoms. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Yield: ~1 cup (use 60 ml for the recipe).

Brew butterfly pea tea

Bring 2 cups water to a gentle boil, then remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons dried butterfly pea flowers and steep for 8–10 minutes until the liquid is a deep electric blue.

Strain the flowers through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing gently to extract color. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, then chill briefly in the fridge until cold. Measure out 120 ml for the cocktails; leftover concentrate keeps 3–4 days refrigerated.

Chill glassware

Chill four Champagne flutes in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes (or fill briefly with ice water, then discard) so the drink stays crisp without dilution.

Per glass: add 15 ml fresh lemon juice and 15 ml chilled lavender syrup to the bottom of a flute (these combine to add brightness, sweetness, and pH to shift color).

Carefully pour 30 ml chilled butterfly pea concentrate into each flute on top of the lemon + syrup. The liquid will be deep blue at this stage.

Slowly top each glass with 187.5 ml (three-quarters of a standard 750 ml bottle divided by four) chilled Champagne or sparkling wine. Pour gently down the side or over the back of a spoon to preserve some carbonation and encourage a pleasing color transition — as the acidic lemon and bubbles mix with the butterfly pea tea, the blue will shift toward vivid purple/lavender.

If desired, give the assembled drink a very gentle stir (one or two turns) to finish blending flavor and color. Serve immediately while sparkling and colorful.

Garnish each flute with a lemon twist on the rim and, optionally, a small sprig of edible lavender laid on top for aroma. Do not submerge the lavender sprig (it can become soggy) — place it on the rim or float briefly on the foam.