Blood Orange Thyme Cocktail
How pretty is this Blood Orange Thyme Cocktail? I love a good cocktail but when it’s lovely to look at (and a little girlie, too), it makes me happy!
Don’t be fooled by this one…it’s not only pretty and tasty, it’ll sneak up on you! There’s a fair amount of vodka in this little cocktail, but I guess you could revise that if you are a lightweight!
Most cocktails are sweetened by a simple syrup that is a combination of sugar and water. And, if you can flavor that syrup with an herb or fruit )or even toasted marshmallows as in my Campfire Old Fashioned cocktail), the infusion will add an elevated note to the cocktail!
We are infusing this simple syrup with fresh thyme, which adds a subtle, aromatic flavor profile. This syrup not only goes well with gin, vodka or bourbon cocktails, it also can be used to sweeten up iced tea or lemonade.
For fun at a party, make up a double batch and put it in a small pitcher with a label, making it easy for guests to concoct their own wonderful cocktail!
Back to the pretty cocktail…when blood oranges are in season, I love to use them in baked goods and salads. They have a wonderful sweet/sour thing going on and the color that you get when you squeeze them for juice is, well, bloody amazing! Ok, I’m killing myself here!
Sooooo, squeeze up some blood orange juice, mix it with some vodka, thyme simple syrup and lime juice. Shake it up, pour it into a champagne coupe, top it with a splash of sparkling water, an orange slice and some fresh thyme. Now you can sit back and just enjoy!
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Blood Orange Thyme Cocktail
Makes: 2 cocktails
Prep Time: 16 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Ingredients
Thyme Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce blood orange juice, from 1/2 blood orange (See Chef’s Note)
- Sparkling water, blood orange slices & thyme sprigs for garnish
Instructions
To make Thyme Simple Syrup:
Place sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer and set aside to cool.
To make Cocktail:
Fill cocktail shaker 3/4 full with ice cubes. Add vodka, lime juice, blood orange juice and 1 ounce of thyme syrup. Shake until very cold. Strain into wide champagne coupes. Top with sparkling water, blood orange slice and thyme sprig.
Chef’s Note:
For a deeper flavor and color, add more blood orange juice.
For more blood orange recipes, try Blood Orange Yogurt Cake and Citrus & Avocado Salad.
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