La Fleur Recipe

Prepare botanicals

Lightly crush the juniper berries and coriander seeds with the back of a spoon or mortar and pestle to release their aromatics. Leave the rose petals, chamomile, lemon verbena (or lemon peel) and pink peppercorns whole.

Combine botanicals and vodka

Place 2 cups neutral vodka in a clean, airtight glass jar. Add the crushed juniper, crushed coriander, pink peppercorns, dried rose petals, chamomile and lemon verbena/lemon peel. If you want a touch of sweetness, stir in 1 teaspoon caster sugar or 1 tsp simple syrup.

Infuse

Seal the jar and store in a cool, dark place. Gently invert the jar once a day. Taste after 24 hours; the infusion should show floral and subtle spice notes. Continue infusion up to 48 hours for a light floral profile or up to 72 hours for more pronounced botanicals. Do not exceed 5 days to avoid bitterness.

Strain

When the flavor is to your liking, strain the vodka through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean bottle to remove solids. Discard the spent botanicals. Chill the infused vodka in the refrigerator until cold.

Set up improvised distillation

Place the 2 cups of filtered water in a wide, shallow saucepan. Scatter the fresh rose petals over the water. Invert a heat-safe bowl and set it in the center of the pan so it sits above the water level; this will collect condensed steam (hydrosol).

Cover and heat

Cover the pan with a lid inverted (concave side up) so that steam will condense and drip into the center bowl. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat — do not boil vigorously. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on water level and add a little if it gets low.

Collect hydrosol

Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully remove the center bowl — it will contain a fragrant rose hydrosol. Strain the hydrosol through a fine mesh to remove any solids. You should get roughly 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rose-infused water. Chill and reserve for the cocktail.

Alternate option

If you have store-bought culinary rose water or rose hydrosol (unsweetened), you can substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons instead of making homemade distillate.

Chill glassware

Place champagne flutes or coupe glasses in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill with ice water while assembling to ensure the cocktail is served cold.

Prepare base

In a mixing glass or small pitcher, add 1.5 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) of the chilled infused vodka per cocktail. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the rose hydrosol (or 1/2 teaspoon rose water) per cocktail — start small and adjust to taste. If you used caster sugar in the infusion you likely won't need extra sweetener.

Assemble cocktail

Pour the vodka + rose hydrosol mixture into a chilled flute (do not overfill). Top gently with chilled sparkling wine (about 4–5 ounces / 120–150 ml) to fill the glass, pouring slowly down the side to preserve bubbles. Stirring is not necessary.

Garnish and finish

Express a lemon peel over the glass and discard or rest the twist on the rim, or float a single fresh rose petal in the drink. Serve immediately.

Proportions for multiple servings

Using the infused vodka yield from the recipe (about 2 cups infused), plan about 10–12 cocktails at 1.5 oz vodka each and a bottle of sparkling wine to top. Adjust rose hydrosol to taste for each drink (approx. 1/4–1/2 tsp each).