Recipe: The Florateani

Whenever summer hits, I find myself changing up the kind of drinks I'm imbibing. In the winter, I can tolerate heavier drinks like whiskey cokes and Cuba Libres, but in the summer, I enjoy things a little lighter and sweeter.

I explained all of this to expert drink maker Brant Miller and asked him to create something flowery and girly for me, but still unique and not at all reminiscent of anything from Sex & the City. He's a big fan of the sweet tea vodka drinks, and he used some of these flavors to make my own personally created cocktail, which he laughingly dubbed the Florateani.

Florateani

½ ounce Lavender Simple Syrup*

½ ounce Vanilla Simple Syrup*

2 ounces Tru Organic Vodka

2 ounces fresh-brewed jasmine tea

Vigorously shake all ingredients together over ice in a shaker tin. He likes to shake it until it's "bruised to hell" so that it forms little ice crystals through the liquid. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with fresh fruit or edible flowers.

*You can use either Monin-brand simple syrups or make your own. Making your own is a bit harder, but far more cost-efficient and tastier.