Pisco Thyme
A truly aromatic herb, thyme has a mythical history and burning it as incense provided courage and assured safe passage to the after life. But if things aren’t as dire and all you need is a little pick me up to start the weekend, then you can use thyme to infuse the flavors of the simple syrup in this Pisco cocktail. Salud!
While making the thyme infused simple syrup I kept hearing the voices of my cooking teachers, Chefs learned in the traditional French techniques, who always loved to pronounce bouquet garni. So I suspect that if you use herbes de Provence to grill seafood or meat this Summer, then this cocktail will be a great pairing.
But this recipe is dedicated to my vegan friends who to my dismay have never tried a Pisco Sour because of the egg whites. So, starting with the same basic ingredients, I added thyme to flavor the simple syrup, and removed the egg whites and Angostura bitters. The result is a truly aromatic cocktail, that vegans and non-vegans alike will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz. Pisco
- 1 lime
- 2 oz. thyme simple syrup
- ice
- bunch fresh thyme
PREPARATION
Mix the Pisco, juice of 1 lime, and thyme simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake for 30 seconds to chill. Serve strained in a coupe and garnish with sprig of fresh thyme.
SERVINGS
1 serving.
NOTES
To make the thyme simple syrup, mix 8 oz. sugar with 8 oz. water and 12-16 sprigs of fresh thyme in a sauce pan, bring to a slow boil, and simmer until the sugar dissolves completely. Let the thyme flavor infuse for 5 minutes before straining the simple syrup into a container where it can cool before using. Use enough ice to double the volume of liquid in the shaker.