Making the pilgrimage to the Okanagan to eat and drink and eat some more is a summer tradition for a good chunk of Western Canadians—but thanks to the new Okanagan Eat cookbook, which spotlights iconic local dishes from the region’s best chefs, we can dig into OK flavours year-round.

Recipes from Okanagan Eats by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari

Lavender Lemonade Cocktail

Legend Distilling, Naramata

At Legend Distilling, the Doctor’s Orders Gin is good for what ails you. This contemporary-style gin flavoured with local apple, elderberry and lavender notes is designed to work in a G&T, martini or negroni, but it might be at its best in this refreshing summery cocktail. The base ingredients—the lavender tea, lemonade and simple syrup—can all be made ahead of time and kept on hand to serve whenever the thirst takes you.

Lavender Tea

4 cups water

½ cup culinary lavender, cleaned and sifted

How to Make:

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in lavender. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain, then allow to cool to room temperature.

Transfer to a glass jar or pitcher and chill until needed. Tea can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

 

Lavender Lemonade Base

4 cups lavender tea (see recipe above)

½ cup simple syrup

½ cup lemon juice

How to Make:

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar or pitcher and mix well. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Lavender Lemonade

1 oz Doctor’s Orders Gin

3 to 4 oz lavender lemonade base (see recipe above)

Lemon peel, for garnish

Sprig of lavender, for garnish

How to Make:

Fill a rocks or Collins glass with ice. Add gin and top with lavender lemonade base. Garnish with lemon peel and lavender.

If you’re serving a crowd, fill a pitcher with ice, add 8 ounces gin and top with lavender lemonade mix. Serve in punch cups or rocks glasses.

Excerpted from Okanagan Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from British Columbia’s Wine Valleys by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari. Photography by Jon Adrian. Copyright © 2023 by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari. Recipes copyright the chefs. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

This story was originally published in the September 2023 print issue of Western Living magazine.

Western Living

Western Living

The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].