Add some flower power to your happy hour

Come up smelling of roses with Elixir Floral Infusions… literally. The brand expanded distribution to Arizona in October with their line of concentrated floral infusions. Using just a dash, the infusions transform cocktails, teas, sodas and more into an ambrosial bouquet, only adding a shy 20 calories per serving.

The infusions are made from pure, natural and organic floral extracts sourced around the world. They lend a natural sweetness as the concentrated infusion of real flowers is blended with a touch of pure cane sugar to intensify its flavor (it’s important to note though, that these should not be confused with a syrup). The brand was awarded two accolades at the 2011 Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition where they took home a Silver and Bronze Award for their Damascan Rose and Antillean Hibiscus Elixirs.

The line currently offers four variations: Damascan Rose, English Lavender, Andean Fire Orchid, Antillean Hibiscus.

The Damascan Rose, my personal favorite, smells exactly like a freshly-cut rose in the bottle. No perfume-y, chemical notes. Damascan Rose petals are picked for their precious extract which requires over 5,000 petals just for one drop. The Rose elixir is slightly less sweet than the others, probably why I prefer it most. Add it to whiskey (3 parts whiskey, 1 part Elixir) for a new favorite sip or use it in a hot toddy, champagne, or to spruce up club soda.

Lavender is blended with soft hints of berries to mellow the slight medicinal and herbaceous notes of the flower to create the English Lavender Elixir. Perhaps my least favored of the bunch (only because I’m a bit recessive towards lavender-anything), the elixir was still quite soothing with a cup of hot tea.

The feminine and fruity Andean Fire Orchid is made with extracts of the tropical orchid and mango and Jasmine. Their recipe for The Lounging Orchid is considerably delicious (4 parts vodka, 2 parts Elixir of Andean Fire Orchid, 1 part grenadine, topped with a splash of soda).

Try the Antillean Hibiscus with muddled mint and lime, rum and soda water for a Jeweled Mojito. Both the rose and hibiscus elixirs are delicious tossed with fresh berries and blended with whipped cream.

Don’t stop at drinks though. Get creative and use the Elixirs in your culinary creations too. Try using them in whipped goat cheese or ricotta, add them to maple syrup, fold them into your yogurt, drizzle over ice cream or use them to create your own vinaigrette.

The elixirs retail for $13.99 (9 oz) and $19.99 (17.5 oz). Learn more about them and check out their list of drink recipes at floralinfusions.com.

^{Disclaimer: Samples were provided complimentary to PhoenixBites for review purposes. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for further explanation.}