Summer in the south  would not be complete without peaches heavy on the trees,  honeysuckle on the breeze, and sitting on the veranda  with a white peach and honeysuckle infused martini  in hand.

White Peach and Honeysuckle Martini

By  Sue Lau

It’s National Martini Day! How will you have yours? Shaken or stirred?

It’s summertime, and I’ll have mine straight up with a dose of seasonal fruits and flowers. Because what says summertime than being out on the veranda with martini in hand, watching the stars and the lightning bugs twinkle, smelling  the heady fragrance of honeysuckle on the breeze and having *anything* peach to eat, even one right out of hand?

Psst! When I was a kid, we’d pluck the honeysuckle blossoms,  put out the nectar covered stems and drink it like fairies on Midsummer’s Eve. Childlike visions transformed us into fireflies dancing at the edge of night, yet with the streetlights coming on and the call of our Mamas from front porches,  every summer’s eve came to an end.

Having a martini is a bit different, at least a more mature thing. You won’t find many adults plucking sips of honeysuckle, I dare say, but I guess now you will see us taking lots of blossoms inside to make our own syrups. But first you have to find the blossoms which you are certain have not been sprayed, and that usually means plucking your own.

And lucky me, I happen to have a honeysuckle in my back yard. And while I might have thought it a bit weedy before, just look what it can do!

And if you do have a honeysuckle, we first have to be certain it is a honeysuckle, because we need to  be careful not to confuse honeysuckle with other plants that are also known as woodbine, such as American ivy, gelsemium, and clematis virginiana. Look your plant up and make sure.

Once you are certain you have actual honeysuckle, we have to make a tisane (which is essentially a tea, minus the actual tea) or you can just call it an infusion if you like. Gather the freshest looking blossoms you can, measure, rinse, and make sure to pinch off the little green ends (those are called the calyx for all you geeky types out there), but don’t pinch off the stringy part or pull it out (the stringy thing is called the style) because if you do you will lose nectar, and we are trying to get as much of that as we can for our syrup.  Then pour the boiling water over and let it steep for a day, covered in plastic wrap. Then drain that.

You’ll want to  mix it  with sugar then, and heat it to a boil, just to make sure it dissolves fully, then let it cool  and refrigerate. You can keep this for several weeks refrigerated. It gets better as it ages slightly, with the *honey* part of it becoming more pronounced.

I’m sure your kids will be interested, and while the martini itself is a no-no, you can use the honeysuckle syrup to sweeten and flavor iced tea and the like.

Recipe intended only for those  of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

White Peach and Honeysuckle Martini

• Servings: 1
• Time: 10mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Allow time  to steep honeysuckle syrup overnight.

Ingredients for Honeysuckle Syrup:

• 2 cups fresh organic honeysuckle blossoms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Method for syrup:

1. Rinse honeysuckle blossoms and pinch off green tips.
2. Pour boiling  water over them, cover and allow to steep for one day.
3. Drain “tea” from blossoms and mix with sugar in a saucepan, stirring to completely dissolve sugar and bringing to a boil.
4. Allow to cool completely and refrigerate.

Ingredients for Martini:

• 2-1/2  ounces peach vodka
• 1 ounce honeysuckle  syrup
• fresh peach slices and raspberries for garnish

Method for martini:

1. Place vodka and syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously, then strain into a martini glass, garnishing with peach slices and raspberries.

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Welcome to #NationalMartiniDay

Whether you enjoy your martini with vodka or gin, shaken or stirred, we’ve got some libations for your happy hour.

• Blueberry Lemon Vodka Martini from Family Around The Table
• Mermaid Martini from Amy’s Cooking Adventure
• Orange Creamsicle Martini from A Day In The Life On The Farm
• Pomegranate Grapefruit Vodka Martini from Books n’ Cooks
• Thai-Tini from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• The Jasmine Martini from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Vesper Martini from Potable Pastime
• Watermelon Strawberry Martini from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• White Peach and Honeysuckle Martini from Palatable Pastime