Thyme Cocktail

It’s summer now, and everything around are in blossom. I have my wish for consuming fresh vegetables strengthened so for me greengrocery has became very popular place for shopping at least until next month when we expect to gather first vegetables at our countryside house’s garden.

Recently I’ve enjoyed black tea with thyme and lemongrass. It was quite tasty, and once I think about using thyme in cocktails. I wasn’t pondering long over future cocktail’s formula: neutral alcohol to underscore thyme aroma, syrup as sweetener and lemon juice to add more sharpness.

After a week of unhurried experiments I’ve got eventually my new cocktail with simple formula and simple name – Thyme Cocktail.

Thyme is a dwarf shrub with small leaves. There are several varieties of thyme, and the most widespread crop has rich and warm spicy nose thanks to high content of aromatic ethers.

Thyme

Supplemented with cinnamon, thyme was outstanding in lightly sweetened black tea therefore in my cocktail I’ve decided to use cinnamon syrup too.

Thyme Cocktail

  • 45 ml vodka (Russian Standard Imperial Vodka),
  • 15 ml cinnamon syrup,
  • 7.5 fresh lemon juice,
  • 3 thyme sprigs (and reserve one more for garnish).

Pull thyme leaves, place it at the bottom of your shaker, add lemon juice and syrup. Muddle lightly until it begin to smell. Then add vodka, ice and shake well. Double strain in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a pear slice and thyme sprig.

It was bittersweet cocktail with light tartness in the end. The bouquet was a quite sharp, it had energy and sensuality.

Wood, herbal and spicy notes of thyme dominate in the beginning of the sip and on the palate as well. Cinnamon hint adds special warmness to the aftertaste but later lemon zest flavour comes to the front bringing fresh tart note to the light dry finish.

Thyme Cocktail

Pear flavour fits thyme and cinnamon combination perfectly so that’s why here I used pear slice as a garnish. Also I have a feeling that my cocktail was too powerful for summer. Cinnamon syrup and thyme were constant for the recipe so I was in search for vodka alternatives. There are limited options, and after some hesitations I’ve preferred rarely usable eau-de-vie to widely-distributed white rum.

Penninger Apfel und Birnen Obstler is an apple and pear schnaps, a type of fruit distillate that comes from the south of Germany. This is clear liquid 38% ABV with milder alcohol flavour and light fruit aftertaste. Regional product, it’s probably hard-to-find component but I’m adamant that for my next Thyme Cocktail variant it’s worth looking for.

Thyme Cocktail (Bavarian version)

  • 45 ml pear eau-de-vie (Penninger Apfel und Birnen Obstler),
  • 15 ml cinnamon syrup,
  • 7.5 fresh lemon juice,
  • 3 thyme sprigs (and reserve one more for garnish).

Pull thyme leaves, place it at the bottom of your shaker, add lemon juice and syrup. Muddle lightly until it begin to smell. Then add vodka, ice and shake well. Double strain in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a pear slice and thyme sprig.

And here I’ve got different cocktail. It loose some bitterness as sweetness become smoother. Subtle fruit hint appears immediately in the start of the sip, and it links all components’ flavours over again. In the presence of this hint powerful combination of thyme, lemon and cinnamon receives another form and new emphasis.

Sweeter, milder and deeper taste is a real temptation. Its harmony is outstanding, and some lack of  energy become insignificant factor in comparison with great advantage in taste quality. That’s a natural winner, I’m sure.

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