Drink This at Midnight: The Sweet Swiftie Cocktail That’s Sweeping TikTok

"Are you…ready for it?"

When Taylor Swift kicked off her Eras tour last month in Glendale, Arizona, fans got more than just your standard sway-along-to-the-music-concert. The kickoff city went all out, temporarily renaming itself “Swift City” and had a slew of Eras-themed excitement for Swifties from “Taylor’s Tenders” at one local restaurant to T.S. puns on DOT highway signs (“Cut off? Don't get bad blood—shake it off" and "Reckless driver? You need to calm down"). Perhaps the most eye-catching is the beautiful, bright purple cocktail that was being served up at the pre-party before the show at the State Farm Stadium, dubbed the “Lavender Haze cocktail."

To quote Taylor: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” TikToks and articles about the themed drinks list the ingredients for the springy lemony lavender cocktail, made with Empress 1908 Gin, but I went on a hunt for a balanced recipe so you can make it at home and be happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way.

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What’s in the Lavender Haze cocktail from TikTok?

The Lavender Haze is a gin-based drink. And not just any gin, either. Empress gets its unique indigo color from butterfly pea blossom, a flower, the company says, that has a “warm herbal earthiness and softness that contributes to the texture of the gin.” The color of the gin is stunning (dare I say “bejeweled”?) and ranges from bright lavender, soft pink, or fuchsia depending on the mixer, which is pretty cool. Rhubarb bitters, falernum (which has notes of ginger, lime, clove and almond), lemon juice and elderflower tonic round out the “official” recipe. One note here: Don’t substitute any other gin for these cocktails. Not only will the color literally pale in comparison, but Empress has a complexity that is really unmatched by other gins out there.

A simpler, alternate version of the recipe (in case you’re not up for buying a bunch of specialty ingredients) includes lemon juice, lavender syrup, and club soda in addition to the Empress gin.

What are the recipes for the Lavender Haze cocktail?

I turned to Jordan Johnston, former bar manager at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, and former bar lead at Big Star in Chicago, Illinois, who created the Lavender Haze cocktail recipes here based on the TikToks. The recipes are for one serving, but Johnston says if you’re making it for a crowd, adjust accordingly.

Lavender Haze—Version 1 (serves 1):

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Empress gin

• 1.5 oz Falernum liqueur

• 1.5 oz ounce lemon juice

• 3 dashes of Rhubarb bitters

• Elderflower tonic water

1. Johnston says to always start with the alcohol at the bottom of the shaker since it gives you the best control of the cocktail. Add gin, falernum, then lemon juice in a shaker. Johnston says it’s important to shake this one since anything with acid should be shaken, to integrate it into the cocktail.

2. Add bitters. Add a handful of ice and shake hard for roughly five seconds.

3. Pour into a rocks glass, fill the glass with ice, then hit with the tonic.

4. Stir a little to integrate the ingredients together. Garnish with a lemon peel after expressing the peel around the rim of the glass, and serve.

Lavender Haze—Version 2 (serves 1):

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Empress gin

• 1.5 oz fresh lemon juice

• 1.5 oz lavender syrup (recipe below)

• Club soda

• Dried culinary lavender

1. Add your gin, lemon juice and syrup into the shaker.

2. Add a handful of ice to the shaker and shake hard for roughly five seconds.

3. Add a handful of ice to a collins glass, pour, then top with club soda. Stir a little to integrate the ingredients together, and garnish with dried lavender. Johnston says you can adjust the amount of syrup and club soda you add depending on your sweetness preference.

Lavender-Infused Rich Syrup

Johnston says a rich syrup differs from a simple syrup in that a rich syrup is two parts sweetener and one part water and a simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio. He recommends making a rich syrup for the Lavender Haze and simply storing the rest (if you have any left) in a mason jar in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (he recommends organic cane sugar for the best taste)

• ½ cup water

• 3 Tbsp culinary lavender

• 1 tsp Butterfly pea powder

Directions:

1. Stir the sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves and it becomes a viscous syrup.

2. Continuing to stir, bring the syrup up to a boil (which will be fast), and add in the dried lavender.

3. Keep on high heat, continuing to stir for 30 seconds.

4. Remove from heat and let it reach room temperature.

5. Strain into a mason jar.

6. Integrate the butterfly pea powder into the lavender syrup. Use a whisk—it will be chalky for a minute but then works into a really nice smooth paste. Refrigerate.

Is there a non-alcoholic version of the Lavender Haze cocktail?

The easiest way to make a non-alcoholic version of the Lavender Haze is to make your lavender-infused rich syrup, mix 2 oz of it with 2 oz of lemon juice, shake, and pour over ice. Top with club soda, plain seltzer, or even the elderflower tonic, Johnston says, if you’re “feeling fancy.”

Are there any alternate versions of the Lavender Haze cocktail?

Johnston says pretty much anywhere gin is used in cocktail making, you can substitute mezcal.

“Mezcal can be substituted in gin cocktails because of the juniper and herbal qualities,” he says, also noting that swapping the lemons for limes can change the flavor profile a bit, too. In a pinch, he says, you can use vodka or tequila in place of the gin.

“It’s just not going to be as flavorful,” he says. “But you’ll get some interesting stuff going on in there.”

Where to buy the ingredients for the Lavender Haze cocktails

Any decent liquor store will have the Empress gin, tonic, rhubarb bitters (Fee Brothers is a good nationally-available brand), and falernum. One note (and a mistake I almost made) is to make sure the falernum you get is the liqueur and not the non-alcoholic syrup in the mixers section of the store. Look for John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum Liqueur (fitting name, right?). Culinary lavender for the rich syrup and butterfly pea powder can be purchased at specialty spice stores, some health food stores, or on Amazon.

What do the Lavender Haze cocktails taste like?

The complexity of these cocktails will have you fallin' in love. Not only are they bright, punchy, and just plain happy to look at, but the floral, fruity, oaky signature blend of black tea in the Empress is set off by the notes of piney juniper, ginger, grapefruit, cinnamon, rose petal, and coriander seed, so it’s just as beautiful to drink as it is to look at. The falernum adds a warm layer of sweetness and there’s just enough lemon to balance it all out so it’s not sickeningly sweet. And trust me, one taste of that lavender-infused rich syrup will have you reaching for it in your fridge all the time. Try both versions of the Lavender Haze, and treat yourself to the butterfly pea powder if you can find it. It levels up the drink (and the color) in a Taylor Swift-swoon-worthy way. One final word: these cocktails are strong, but they don’t taste strong, so be careful, dear Swifties—too many will definitely leave you in a, well, lavender haze.

Next: Taylor Swift 'Lavender Haze' Music Video Easter Eggs Decoded