On the Flip Side
Ruling House: Third
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Symbol: The Twins
Dates: May 21 - June 20
Element: Air
ABOUT
Geminis are easygoing, personable and always the life of the party. You might want to grab another glass of this lavender shandy because they sure love to talk.
Represented by the Twins, Geminis are social creatures at heart. They’re great at making connections and often explore the world with a childlike curiosity. Extremely versatile and far from reserved, they love to be the center of attention.
Ruled by Mercury – the planet of communication and coordination – Geminis are one of the most flexible signs of the zodiac. They possess an inner duality that allows them to easily adapt to the energy of those around them. While you may never truly know what a Gemini really feels, you’re guaranteed to never be bored around one.
Made with a homemade lavender vodka lemonade and a Hazy IPA, my On the Flip Side is a light spring cocktail that’s perfect to sip on as the weather starts to warm up.
The key to making this drink is the lavender syrup. It may sound intimidating, but lavender syrup is really easy to prepare. You only need cane sugar, water and dried lavender flowers. After letting the ingredients simmer for a few minutes, you get a sweet, floral and rich syrup that’s perfect for cocktails and pretty much anything else.
While I used dried lavender flowers, you can always swap them out with lavender bitters. Bitters are essentially a neutral spirit infused with botanicals. (Botanicals is just a fancy word for a combination of spices, fruit, leaves, bark, roots, and/or herbs.)
You can think of bitters as the salt and pepper for your cocktails. They add a ton of color and even more flavor to your drinks, so you really only need a few dashes. Two dashes of your favorite lavender bitters should add enough flavor in this drink.
Lastly, you can’t make a shandy without beer. If you know me then you know I’m not the biggest beer drinker. But if you catch me with a beer, it’ll definitely be one from Two Locals Brewing Company. Two Locals is Philly’s first Black-owned brewery. You can check them out here.
Their Prolific Hazy IPA is one of the few beers I’ll actually drink. This juicy beer is full of mango, pineapple, nectar, and guava notes. When ice cold, it’s perfect for a hot day and even better to make a shandy with.
While shandies are typically 1/2 beer and 1/2 lemonade, you can adjust the proportions to your liking. This drink is served in a collins for a pint glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel or wedge.
Notable Geminis: Patti LaBelle, Naomi Campbell, Venus Williams, Stevie Nicks, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Phylicia Rashad, Angelina Jolie, Octavia Spencer, Brooke Shields, Paula Abdul, Nicole Kidman, Idina Menzel, Lauryn Hill, and Tupac Shakur.
Recipe Type: Cocktails
Glassware: Collins or Pint
Servings: 1
INGREDIENTS
1.5 oz. vodka
2 oz. filtered water
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. lavender syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. dried lavender flowers
Fill with Two Locals Brewing Co. Prolific – Hazy IPA or your favorite Hazy IPA
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare lavender syrup by adding sugar and water to a small saucepan on low heat
Let simmer until sugar has dissolved
Stir dried lavender flowers into simple syrup and let simmer for 5 minutes
Remove from heat and let cool completely
Strain syrup in a clean glass container and discard lavender flowers
Add vodka, filtered water, lemon juice, and lavender syrup to a cocktail shaker
Add ice and shake for a few seconds
Stain into a collins or pint glass
Fill with Two Locals Hazy IPA
Garnish with lemon wheel or wedge
Enjoy