I wanted to start experimenting with botanical infusions and was thrilled to find a recipe that uses both elderflower liqueur as well as lavender-infused vodka. St. Germain, a French apertif derived from elderflower blossoms, comes a bottle that looks like it was just plucked straight from Jay Gatsby’s liquor cabinet. If you can make iced tea, you can easily infuse vodka with dried lavender. While the recipe’s namesake calls for Grey Goose, I suspect any vodka will do. We sprinkled a generous handful of dried lavender into a bottle and let steep for a few days.

Goose in Spring comes from Elijah Venanzi, who won the May 2012 Vodka Cocktail Contest:

• 2 muddled raspberries
• 2 oz. lavender-infused vodka
• 0.75 oz. St. Germain elderflower liquer
• 0.25 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice and double strain into a lavender-rubbed coupe. Garnish with lemon peel.

Goose in Spring: easily infused