Of all the iced teas on this blog, lavender is the most quietly beautiful.
It does not have the dramatic colour of hibiscus or the crowd-pleasing familiarity of peach. What it has is elegance — a soft, pale grey-purple that looks like something a very considered person chose, a floral note that is delicate rather than overpowering, and a flavour that pairs with spring afternoons, bridal showers and any moment that wants something with a little more grace than usual.
If you made the Lavender Lemon Spritz, you already have the syrup. One batch of lavender simple syrup, two beautiful drinks. That is this blog in practice.
What You Need
For the lavender syrup (makes enough for 6-8 drinks):
- 3 tablespoons dried culinary lavender — not craft lavender, culinary grade (Find dried culinary lavender on Amazon →)
- 200g (1 cup) white sugar
- 240ml (1 cup) water
For the iced tea (serves 4):
- 4 black tea bags — English Breakfast or Darjeeling (Darjeeling is especially good with lavender)
- 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water
- 3-4 tablespoons lavender syrup, to taste
- A small squeeze of fresh lemon — just a few drops, optional but it brightens everything
- Ice
- Fresh lavender sprigs and lemon wheels to garnish
How to Make It
Make the lavender syrup:
- Combine the lavender, sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- Remove from the heat and steep for 20 minutes — the liquid will turn a soft pale lilac.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Make the iced tea:
- Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Remove without squeezing.
- Add the lavender syrup while still hot and stir well.
- Add a small squeeze of lemon if using.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.
- Serve over ice with a fresh lavender sprig pushed into the ice and a thin lemon wheel on the rim.
3 Ways to Vary This Recipe
Make it a lavender lemon iced tea — increase the lemon from a small squeeze to 45ml (1.5 oz) of fresh lemon juice added after cooling. The lemon sharpens the floral note beautifully and makes the whole drink more refreshing. This version is the easiest to drink on a hot day and the one that disappears fastest at gatherings.
Make it sparkling — top each glass with good sparkling water just before serving. The fizz makes the lavender fragrance more present (carbonation releases aroma compounds) and elevates the whole experience. This is the version you serve at a bridal shower.
Make it a lavender Earl Grey iced tea — use Earl Grey tea bags instead of English Breakfast. Earl Grey is already bergamot-scented, and the citrus note of the bergamot plays extraordinarily well with lavender. The result is more complex and more aromatic than either would be alone. This is the sophisticated version.
What Glass to Use
Lavender iced tea is pale and delicate, so it needs the clearest glass possible — ideally a tall slim highball or a wine glass where the light can pass through it. The soft grey-purple colour is subtle and beautiful, but it disappears in anything that is not completely transparent.
For a bridal shower or spring event, serve in wine glasses rather than tumblers. The wider opening makes the lavender scent more present when you bring the glass to your nose, which is part of the experience of this particular drink.
(Shop clear tall glasses for spring drinks on Amazon →)
What to Serve It With
Lavender iced tea was made for slow, elegant moments:
- Shortbread or lavender-scented biscuits
- A spring cheese board with soft brie, fresh honeycomb and berries
- Macarons — lavender pairs beautifully with vanilla, lemon and rose flavours
- Scones with clotted cream and lemon curd
- Any Sunday that has decided to be graceful
The Ritual Tip
The lavender syrup in this recipe is exactly the same one used in the Lavender Lemon Spritz Mocktail. Make one batch and keep it in the fridge. Some evenings it becomes a sparkling spritz. Some afternoons it becomes an iced tea. The syrup does not know the difference — but you get two completely different drinks from one twenty-minute effort.
→ See all our iced tea recipes: Iced Tea Recipes: 8 Homemade Versions →
Other recipes you will love:
