Floral. Herbaceous. Hints of mint and rosemary with a delicate bitterness on the palate. These aren’t tasting notes for one of northern Michigan’s many wines or beers: It’s lavender.
While most of us think of lavender as just a fragrance, or an ingredient for hand soap, candles, floral bouquets and aromatherapy oils, it’s also an underappreciated ingredient on many area dining and drinking menus.
This summer, you might find yourself craving a new flowery flavor in your baked goods, entrees and beverages. If you do, there are a plethora of northern Michigan lavender farms that can provide you with culinary lavender — and many more places that are already working with it.
If you’ve been to Brys Winery, you’ve no doubt driven past their Secret Garden Lavender Farm, which boasts thousands of plants in a scenic hidden valley on Old Mission Peninsula. In addition to a lavender lemonade, guests can also take home custom-crafted Moomer’s Ice Cream that uses lavender and other flavors grown on the farm.
Nearby, Bonobo Winery takes lavender flavor to the next level in a special frozen drink that’s perfect for those warmer days where a glass of rose or sparkling wine just won’t do.
While it’s not made with wine, their lavender lemonade slushy is a delicious mix of citrus and floral flavors that’s extremely popular in summer.
“It sells like hotcakes. It came about because we are a dry house — most of our wines are fashioned after French style wines so they tend to be on the drier side. This gives us a sweeter option,” says tasting room manager Sandy Holbrook. “We can sell five hundred no problem on a weekend.”
For something a little different, Bonobo also offers a Lavender Palmer, mixing vodka, gin or whiskey with their lavender simple syrup and iced tea for an even more complex flavor (and for designated drivers, you can order it without booze as well).
In Leelanau County, if you’re willing to shack up for an evening at the 18-acre Luna Rosa Farms Bed and Breakfast, you can be the beneficiary of their fresh culinary lavender in a number of their menu items.
New owners Arminda Meza and husband Fernando are hosting their first season this summer and are incorporating the flavors of lavender into their ever-changing menu. Guests may be able to try lavender-laden cherry yogurt bars, espresso affogato, cookies and truffles. Not up for a full night’s stay? Luna Rosa lavender will also appear in bites at Morsels in downtown Traverse City this season.
Also on the Leelanau Peninsula is the Bohemian Lavender Farm, one of the area’s largest with 12,000 plants just outside of Maple City.
Bohemian’s English lavender can be found in drinks and desserts around the area on menus at Broomstack Kitchen and Taphouse, Market 22 as well as in Right Brain Brewing’s “Blue Magic’’ shandy-style beer infused with fresh lavender as well as lavender stems.
Bohemian Lavender owner Mike Shimek pivoted his family farm to French and English lavender following over a century of cherry production, and he understands what can be a misperception of the plant as a culinary flavor.
“There’s really no soapy taste to it,” he says. “It’s a subtle flavor. We mix it with sage and oregano — it’s a really good mix.” That spice blend can be used in some surprisingly savory ways as well, Shimek said. “Some places like to baste prime rib with it, so the outer crust has it on there (and) if you try it with olive oil and dip some French bread in it, it’s really good.”
McCormick Farmz in Wolverine, Mich. are taking their love of lavender to a new level as they host the Phenomenally Fun 2023 Lavender Harvest Celebration July 14 and 15.
Their culinary lavender contributes to menus including the nearby Thirsty Sturgeon, which serves up a lavender-gin lemonade as well as an occasional blueberry-lavender salad.
Cedarville’s Les Cheneaux Distillers also uses McCormick’s lavender simple syrup to serve up martinis and mojitos with an extra dose of delicate lavender flavor.
And if you find yourself leaving a lavender farm with a desire to try your own hand at crafting a beverage infused with this delicately floral flavor, Dawn McCormick of McCormick Farmz invites you to try the “The Herbie” using their lavender simple syrup (right).