I might as well call this the official summer iced drink of The Joyful Plateful! As soon as the first 60-degree days were in the forecast, I had a batch of cold brew coffee going in the fridge. Alongside of it was my favorite homemade lavender-cardamom syrup. My Lavender-Cardamom Cold Brew Latte is my favorite cold coffee drink, inspired by a local coffeeshop near where I used to work. Since I don’t make it over there very much anymore, I started making my own drinks at home (using dried lavender from my own herb garden!). And since my birthday is coming up, I’m sharing my recipe with you!

When the weather warms up, I start making cold brew. It’s usually my second cup of the day, because I will forever like to start my day with a mug of hot coffee. But by mid-morning, or maybe early afternoon, I switch to iced. I’ve been making cold brew at home for years, so I have handy little filter that inserts into a wide-mouth mason jar (see in pictures), and it’s available online. There are lots of other tools for making your own cold brew coffee, and you can also buy great cold brew concentrate in stores now, too - use whatever method is most convenient for you!

When it comes to the lavender-cardamom syrup, I use dried lavender from my own garden. To find dried culinary lavender, of course it’s available online, but also check out your local farmer’s market. Lavender is a pretty easy herb to grow, so most small farms with herb gardens have some. Markets also often have vendors with body products, many of which include lavender, and I’ve seen these sellers sometimes sell plain dried lavender flowers, too. Or check with a neighbor! I bet someone around you has an herb garden with lavender they are willing to share (especially if you offer to make them a drink…).

You may think it sounds strange to add flowers to your coffee, but trust me - it’s delicious! And paired with cardamom, the two flavors really enhance each other. I hope you get to try this recipe while the weather is warm. I’ll be raising my lavender-cardamom cold brew glass on my birthday in a few days for sure. Cheers!

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Original publication date: May 13, 2021