There’s something unbeatable about using locally grown ingredients and getting creative with drinks. This past weekend, 2nd Rule popped up at Princeton Lavender in Princeton, NJ. It’s a small lavender farm owned by Beth & Brad — a truly life-loving, hard-working couple. Their red barn stand is filled with the fragrances of lavender; dried bundles, lavender honey and lavender pillows! Walk into the fields and see bees and butterflies hopping from flower to flower. Then just down a path you'll be met with 6 sweet kid goats. Grab a fresh-cut bouquet or bring home a planter for the yard. It’s a Jersey day trip to live for.
We popped up with a simple specialty menu in which we got to feature two varieties of their lavender.
The Phenomenal Iced Lavender Latte is smooth like petals with mindblowing complexity and fresh aromatics. Phenomenal is a French evergreen lavender, loved for its fragrant oils that we brought over into our soft simple syrup.
We chose these heirloom Ethiopian beans that come from a mill in the Gedeo region called ‘Jet’. Small-batch roasted locally by none other than Penstock Coffee Roasters, it’s a washed coffee bursting with fragrances of jasmine and bergamot throughout. We taste peach, chocolate, and raw sugar. Its vibrant acidity and long-lingering flavor of Earl Grey lends itself deliciously to milk and lavender.
All the drinks were served topless as they’re meant to be enjoyed with all of the lovely aromas that make a beverage an experience. We also gave away our iced lavender latte recipe with a purchase of some gorgeous Penstock beans!
The second item on our menu was the Big Time Blue Lavender Lemonade. It showcased —you guessed it— Big Time Blue. These were the lavender bushes that were seen lined down the farm. Their flowers are a brilliant rich purple. We chose this variety because its flower is fragrant and nectar-rich.
Delicately floral with fresh-squeezed organic Meyer lemons, this lemonade is super refreshing and has all the old school summer feels with a local modern twist.
I’ll never forget buying 50 pounds of lemons being asked, “What are you making with this, lemonade?!” I guess it couldn’t have been more obvious…
It was a wild, wild weekend! Saturday we sold out completely just 2 hours in. On Sunday, we came prepared with double portions and sold out of lavender lemonade again in 2 hours. Thankfully the iced lavender lattes kept us going! Both days the weatherman told us to expect scary thunderstorms and we didn’t get a drop. 2nd Rule served over 250 guests at the farm and couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off the summer, masks and all.
Thank you for having us, Princeton Lavender! And thank you all who came by!
