Lavender sets the tone from the first aroma. Gold Dirt Distillery makes this blue-purple gin in Rollinsville, Colorado, by infusing its High & Dry Gin with a generous quantity of lavender. The bottle label also identifies butterfly pea flower, the botanical responsible for the striking colour. Bottled at 40% ABV, it remains dry enough to show the structure of the base gin beneath its floral character.

The High & Dry foundation follows a London Dry direction enriched with botanicals from the surrounding mountain landscape. The producer does not publish their individual names, so the recipe is best understood through its shape rather than an invented list. Juniper supplies the familiar dry frame, local botanicals add depth, lavender rises clearly above them, and butterfly pea flower colours the liquid without turning the gin into a sweet cordial.

The nose is openly floral, with lavender that recalls fresh stems and dried buds rather than scented sugar. On the palate, the first impression is smooth and aromatic, then the gin tightens into a drier herbal middle. A light earthy note from the botanical base keeps the flowers grounded. The finish is clean, gently perfumed and long enough for the lavender to remain present without erasing the juniper-led structure.

For the distillery's Mule Deer serve, fill a highball glass with ice and combine 5 cl of gin with 1 cl of fresh lime juice. Top with about 10 cl of Strongwater Ginger Beer, stir gently and add one lime wedge. Ginger gives the lavender a warm counterpoint, while lime restores tension and keeps the blue floral gin refreshing. Avoid adding extra lavender to the glass, as the infusion is already generous.