When you travel to France in the summertime, you’re bound to come across citron pressé on the menus at many classic cafés.
Yes, you could call citron pressé, lemonade, but you really wouldn’t be doing it justice. You see there’s a rhythm that comes with this classic French drink.
In fact it is really a DIY drink as all the ingredients are decomposed since the lemon juice, simple syrup, and water arrive separately and you mix it to your liking. On my latest trip to France I explored Provence and the Rhone River area and loved how it, well, classic French it was.
The summer weather meant people were out at sidewalk cafés sipping café crème in the morning, citron pressé midday, and Kir Royale in the afternoon.
So, though I hadn’t had the drink in more years than I recall, I started ordering it on the regular. My favorite was in the town of Avignon where there was the simple, elegant but not-too-disrespectful twist on the classic thanks to the addition of lavender. That simple riff totally made me fall in love with this classic French summertime drink all over again so I’m recreating it for you here!
Go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
{Citron Pressé} Lavender French Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
For The Lavender Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds plus more for garnish
For The Lemonade:
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Chilled sparkling water
- Ice cubes
- Thinly sliced lemons for garnish
Instructions
- Make The Lavender Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup water with the sugar in a small saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the simple syrup for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, add the lavender buds, and allow to steep and cool for 20 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the simple syrup, discard the lavender, and set aside until ready to use.TIP: The simple syrup can be made up to two weeks ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Makes enough for 16 servings.
- Make A Citron Pressé: Add some lemon juice to the bottom of a Tom Collins glass and add a spoonful (about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon depending on your taste) of simple syrup. Top with sparkling water, stir and taste, adding more syrup or lemon as you desire. Add ice, garnish with thinly sliced lemon and lavender then serve.
