Writer's Block: A Gin & Lemon Thyme Summer Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 fistfuls of lemon thyme sprigs (divided among the infused simple syrup, muddling, and garnish)
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 True Lime packet
- 1 fresh lime wedge
- 1 Tablespoon Turbinado raw cane sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon of St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur (I must insist you used this brand of elderflower liqueur - all others aren't right. I've tried)
- 2 1/4 Teaspoons of Lemon Thyme simple syrup
- 3 ounces of Gin (highly recommend only London Dry style Gin: Bombay Blue Sapphire, Regular Bombay, or Beefeater only)
- Lots of fresh ice
- Whiskey glass with straight sides
- Small sauce pan with lid
- One ounce shot glass
- measuring spoons
- shallow bowl
- wire mesh strainer
- small container for storing simple syrup
Instructions:
- Obtain a Lemon Thyme plant and fertilize it so that you have plenty of Lemon Thyme throughout the summer.
- Bring the water and white sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat. Throw in a large handful of lemon thyme sprigs (pre-rinsed and cleaned) put a cover on and let the lemon thyme steep for a few hours, stirring and swirling every so often to help the essential oils infuse syrup. Stronger the better! Pour through a strainer to keep the leaves out of the final product. Store in in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a two weeks.
- Get a low ball whisky glass with straight sides. Wash your hands and rinse 3 sprigs of lemon thyme, gently pat the herbs dry. Set aside 1 nice sprig for a garnish, and use the other two to smush and muddle on the insides and bottom of the glass. Really work the essential oils onto the sides. You should be able to smell it. Discard the smushed sprigs.
- Get a shallow bowl and empty a True Lime packet and the Turbinado sugar into it, mix. Get the lime wedge and moisten the rim of the glass with it. Dip the glass rim into the sugar/True Lime mixture until it is covered.
- Add the Lemon Thyme simple syrup, St. Germaine, and one ounce of gin. Mix. Add enough ice so that it almost reaches the top of the glass, then pour in the remaining two ounces of gin. Stir until combined. Add more ice if needed.
- Add a sprig of lemon thyme and serve.
- Marvel at how easily and enjoyably all that gin goes down the hatch.
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| photo by: Joshua Franzos |
It took over two years of experimenting with different gins, different liqueurs, tinkering with amounts, adding lime juice and taking it away again, shaken not stirred, stirred and not shaken, until I settled on the perfect combination of flavors and fuss in this recipe. I'm very proud of it, everyone I make it for, likes it, (even the non-gin people.) I realize Lemon Thyme is not the easiest thing to find, but if you see it that farmer's market or at a nursery PICK IT UP. It's so worth it. It would be like me to post a recipe you probably couldn't immediately make, right?
I'm usually a red wine and whiskey on the rocks type of gal, but this quarantine has me wanting fancier, complicated libations at the end of the day. I shook so many manhattans May through July that I broke my shaker. I'm trying not to drink away my quarantine and upcoming election anxiety, but this cocktail is too tempting. Hope you are well.
Your Bosom Friend in Pittsburgh,
