The Mocktail Recipe Everyone Was Asking About — New Moon Nectar

If you were at Waves of Change on July 14th, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Our own creation, inspired by the evening: 'New Moon Nectar' Mocktail. The violet-pink right butterfly pea flower mocktail worked its magic. It tasted SO good, and once you see it you will absolutely want to recreate it at home. We were flooded with requests for the recipe that night, so here it is. Every last detail.

This mocktail is fully alcohol-free, naturally colored, and honestly one of the most beautiful things you can put on a table. It's also batched for a crowd, which makes it perfect for a backyard gathering, a bridal shower, a girls' night — anything where you want to feel like you put in real effort without actually stressing yourself out.

First: Make Your Lavender Simple Syrup

This is the base of everything. It takes about 20 minutes and keeps in the fridge for up to 3–4 weeks, so you can make it ahead. If you grow culinary lavender — use yours. Fresh works beautifully, just double the amount of buds.

Makes about 6 cups — enough for the full 'New Moon Nectar' batch with extra to keep in a squeeze bottle

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2–3 tbsp local raw honey
• 3 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds (English lavender / Lavandula angustifolia is best — sweeter, less camphor-y)

Instructions:

1. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is clear — no need to boil hard, just bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the raw honey until fully dissolved, then add the lavender buds in a coffee filter. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. You want floral, not perfumey. Lavender gets bitter fast if it oversteeps, so don't walk away.
3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently on the buds. Let cool completely, then transfer to a sealed jar or squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

'New Moon Nectar' Mocktail

A floral, color-changing mocktail — deep blue butterfly pea tea shifts to dreamy violet-pink when the lemon hits it.

Serves approximately 20

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp dried butterfly pea flowers (or 8–10 butterfly pea tea bags)
• 5 cups hot water (for brewing the tea)
• 3 cups lavender simple syrup (recipe above)
• 4 cups white peach cranberry juice
• Juice of 6 lemons, freshly squeezed
• 6½ cups Topo Chico or sparkling water, chilled
• Sugar or lavender sprigs + edible flowers for rim and garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Brew the tea. Steep the butterfly pea flowers in 5 cups of hot water for 10 minutes until you have a deep, vivid blue. Strain out the flowers and let cool.
2. Chill it completely. Refrigerate the brewed tea until fully cold — at least 1 hour, or speed it up over ice. Keeping it cold preserves that beautiful blue color.
3. Build the base. In a large pitcher or drink dispenser, combine the chilled tea with the lavender honey syrup and white peach cranberry juice. Stir well. Do NOT add the lemon yet — the base stays blue until the acid hits it. That's the magic moment.
4. Prep your glasses. If you want a rimmed glass, run a lemon wedge around the edge and dip in sugar or lavender. Fill each glass with ice.
5. Pour and shift. Fill each glass about two-thirds full with the blue base. Add a splash of fresh lemon juice (about ½ oz per glass) and watch it shift from blue to violet-pink. Top with sparkling water (about 2½ oz per glass) and give one gentle stir.
6. Garnish and serve. Finish with a lavender sprig or edible flower. Serve immediately while fizzy and freshly color-shifted.

A Few Notes from the Farm

On the color change: The shift happens because butterfly pea flower tea is pH-sensitive. The moment acid (lemon juice) hits it, the anthocyanins react and the color transforms. It's chemistry — but it feels like magic. Let your guests pour their own lemon if you want everyone to experience the shift themselves

Batch shortcut: You can pre-mix the lemon directly into the full pitcher if you'd rather not pour individually — it'll all turn violet-pink at once and you lose the color-change moment, but it still tastes incredible. 

Make-ahead: The blue base keeps in the fridge up to 2-3 days. The lavender syrup keeps 3-4 weeks.

Butterfly pea flowers: You can find dried butterfly pea flowers online or at specialty tea shops. If you can't find them loose, 8–10 butterfly pea tea bags work perfectly.

This mocktail was created for our Bloom Bar, Sound Bowl and New Moon Ladies Night at Waves of Change Collective in Franklinville, NJ — an evening of sound bowl therapy, fresh-cut blooms, and a little stillness for the women who needed it most.

We're already dreaming up our next event for October.

In the meantime, if you're looking for fresh flowers for your home, a special occasion, or an upcoming wedding — I'd be honored to be your farmer florist.

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With love and so much gratitude,
Rachel
Bits & Blooms Flower Farm