One of our favorite local places to go for dinner is the Kimberton Inn in the quaint town of Kimberton, Pennsylvania not far from our home.
As cat lovers, we always wonder if Oliver, a nicely-sized black and white cat, will be there to welcome us and he most often is. Inside the warm and friendly staff is also ready to greet us by name.
While the Kimberton Inn has been around since 1796, their menu is modern and creative with many options, particularly for those who follow a gluten-free diet. They have a very thoughtful wine list (by the glass and bottle) entirely made up of wine from wineries practicing sustainable agriculture, practicing and/or certified organic, or practicing and/or certified biodynamic.
If that’s not enough, their cocktail list is quite impressive. It changes with the season and always has something for both Ed and me. On our last visit there, Ed enjoyed this cocktail and Kimberton Inn’s manager, Jason Irrang, graciously shared the recipe with us.
This drink is rye, lavender (two forms) and cassis (blackcurrant liqueur – also known as Crème de cassis). Lavender and cassis are two of my favorite things so I was happy to try this out at home. This pairing rounds out the spicy and peppery flavor of the rye. Overall the cocktail has a pleasing smooth finish. We enjoyed it served up – it would also be equally good on the rocks.
Lavender syrup is simple to prepare. While I’ve made it with fresh lavender (Louis’ Lavender Gin and Tonic), I used dried culinary lavender from Mt. Airy Lavender Farm in Coatesville, Pennsylvania (they are happy to ship their products) for this batch. You can make the lavender syrup in advance and refrigerate it or freeze it for up to six months.
For lavender bitters, I recommend Scrappy’s Bitters which we happened to have on hand in our bitters cabinet. A dash of lavender bitters also goes nicely in plain club soda or seltzer if you’re looking for another use.
Cassis can be difficult to find in Pennsylvania so I purchase it out of state. Look for ones made from Dijon in Burgundy, France, where it was invented in the 1840s. Be sure to save some cassis for a Kir Royale.
Thank you, Jason and the Kimberton Inn, for sharing this delicious recipe and for the clever name. Thank you, Chris M, for the rye addition to our bar.
Photo: My sister-in-law, Annie T, provided the lavender from her garden – I intended to use it for cooking but instead it made it into this pretty vase from my parents.
| Rye of the Tiger | Print |
- ½ cup (lightly packed) fresh lavender flowers or 8 teaspoons dried lavender flowers (see Notes)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2-1/2 ounces rye
- ½ ounce cassis (or Crème de cassis)
- ½ ounce lavender syrup
- 4 dashes lavender bitters
- Garnish with a lemon twist
- Roughly chop lavender flowers. Rinse in a colander. (No need to chop or rinse dried flowers.)
- In a saucepan set over medium-high heat add water and sugar. Stir until sugar completely dissolves and mixture comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from heat. Add chopped lavender, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. (It can become bitter if steeped too long.) Pour syrup through a sieve into a clean jar and refrigerate. Syrup keeps two months or longer in the refrigerator. Makes 1-1/2 cups.
- In a cocktail shaker, add rye, cassis, lavender syrup and lavender bitters. Add ice cubes to the shaker.
- Shake for about 20 seconds.
- Pour into a Nick and Nora or coupe glass. (You could also serve it in an old fashioned glass with ice.)
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
* If you are using dried lavender flowers, be sure that they are of a culinary quality. The rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon fresh to 1 teaspoon dried (this applies generally when replacing fresh herbs with dried herbs). ½ cup fresh lavender is 8 tablespoons, so if you're using dried lavender, use 8 teaspoons (or 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons).
* You can prepare the syrup well in advance (with fresh summer lavender) and freeze it for up to six months.
Source: Recipe courtesy of the Kimberton Inn in Kimberton, Pennsylvania
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