Bubbly, citrusy, refreshing, with notes of raspberry and cucumber, Blood Orange Thyme and Gin Cocktail embraces winter’s freshest of fruits.
This week brought snow to the Pacific Northwest! I awoke Tuesday morning to fluffy snowflakes falling from dark gray skies. The deer were here too, nibbling on the fresh green leaves of tulips just pushing through the ground.
I don’t mind their nibbles so much. After all, this was their home long before I called it mine too.
We still get a few blooms and I continue to plant new bulbs in hopes that they won’t be discovered.
And although I’m anticipating spring in all its glory, I still relish in winter; its quiet stillness, no weeds to pull, dramatic gray skies, golden crowned sparrows, American widgeons, cozy fireplaces and snow-capped mountains.
It’s exactly one month before our farmer’s market starts back up again. I can’t wait!
But for now, I’m savoring all the citrus winter provides. Last week I baked some Blood Orange Chocolate Chunk Scones but had more blood oranges in the pantry to whip up a couple of cocktails.
This was my favorite concoction out of the two. And while I’m somewhat new to gin, I guess I wasn’t surprised to learn how many different varieties of gin there are. It has an interesting, rich history dating back to the early 1600’s and has evolved since into a wide array of distilling techniques and infusions, producing an inviting selection for gin connoisseurs.
It’s different than, say, straight vodka since vodka tends to yield a neutral flavor to cocktails. Although juniper berries are the predominate botanical used in distilling gin, each variety has its own distinct notes due in part to infusions. This is why it’s important, I’ve read, to not substitute one variety of gin for another when mixing cocktails.
What I appreciate about gin is how it brings its own set of flavor profiles to a mixer. The variety of gin I chose has an infusion of cucumber and rose, a delightful pairing with blood orange and thyme.
This cocktail is quick to whip up and can be prepared ahead when needed. First, make the simple syrup and infuse the syrup with thyme. Chill the simple in the refrigerator or, if in a hurry, throw it in the freezer. Then, squeeze the blood oranges, as many as needed, and mix with the gin and simple. When ready for service, slice blood oranges for garnish, fill lowball glasses with ice, then pour the blood orange/gin mixture into glasses and top with club soda. Garnish with an orange slice and thyme sprig.
A little bitter, citrusy, with a hint of thyme and cucumber, this sipper is refreshing and has a gorgeous color.
I’d love to know if you’ve tried gin and if so, what variety you like! Please leave a comment below!
the recipe
Blood Orange Thyme and Gin Cocktail
Ingredients
For the Thyme Simple Syrup:
- 1/4 C (55g) Cane Sugar
- 1/4 C (55g) Water
- 8 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
For the Cocktail:
- 1 1/2 oz (42g) Gin I like Hendrick's or The Botanist
- 1 1/4 oz (28g) Blood Orange Juice about one blood orange
- 1/4 oz (7g) Simple Syrup or to taste
- Club Soda
- Thyme and Orange Slices for Garnish
Instructions
For the Thyme Simple Syrup:
- In a small sauce pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil and swirl the pot a few times until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat. Add the thyme to the sugar mixture, and place a lid on the sauce pot. Steap for 10 minutes. Remove lid, strain to remove thyme and store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Chill before using in cocktail (to speed this process, I place the container, unlidded, in the freezer to chill the simple down fast - I use a canning jar for this.)
For the Cocktail:
- Juice and strain one blood orange through a fine mesh strainer. In a cocktail shaker, add a handful ice, blood orange juice, gin and simple syrup. Shake vigorously 4-5 times. Fill a low ball glass with ice and pour the gin mixture over ice in the lowball glass. Top with club soda and garnish with an orange slice and thyme sprig. Adjust sweetness to taste by adding more simple if desired.
