On a recent vacation to San Francisco, I met up with a close foodie friend for a day trip to Sonoma County. At Healdsburg’s gourmet Oakville Grocery, I froze in front of the countless shelves of local wines, olive oils, cheeses, honey, and more, paralyzed with souvenir possibilities.
Fortunately, my friend came to my rescue. “If you take only one thing back to Boston, make it this,” she said, pointing to a bottle of Sonoma Syrup Co.’s lavender-infused simple syrup.
And so I did, much to my current delight. Made with organic lavender from Sonoma’s Matanzas Creek Winery and sweetened with cane sugar (not corn syrup), the syrup makes for a delicate, nuanced cocktail when added to prosecco.
Of course, you can opt for something more conventional, but still artisanal, for your home bar. The company also makes pomegranate (a natural grenadine), lime (move over, Rose’s Lime Juice!), black currant (for kir royales), and mint syrups, as well as both Eureka and Meyer lemon varieties for stellar lemon-drop martinis.
Available for $9.25 for a 12.7-ounce bottle at sonomasyrup.com.
