As the weather starts to warm up barbecues and picnics become more and more popular. There is no better way to spice up your outdoor food extravaganza than with a few delicious drink recipes. Here are three of my favorite drink concoctions to bring to your next swaray. (All recipes courtesy of Town and Country)
1. Lemon-Thyme Vodka Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 3 lemon wedges
- sugar
- .25 cup Lemon-Thyme Syrup*
- .25 cup citrus vodka
- .25 cup club soda
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, preferably lemon thyme
Instructions for Lemon-Thyme Syrup: Makes 1 cup
1. .75 cup sugar
2. 1 small bunch fresh thyme, preferably lemon thyme (.5 ounce)
3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup water and the sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. Add the thyme, remove from the heat, and let stand until cool.
5. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
6. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Instructions: Run 1 lemon wedge over the rim of a highball glass; dip the rim into sugar. Reserve the lemon wedge.
4. Put the remaining 2 lemon wedges in a cocktail shaker along with the syrup and vodka. Muddle hard, breaking the lemon skins to release their oils. Cover and shake.
5. Carefully fill the rimmed glass with ice. Pour the syrup mixture into the glass, lemon wedges and all. Top off with the club soda, the squeeze the reserved lemon wedge over before dropping it into the glass. Garnish with the thyme sprig and serve immediately.
Courtesy of Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
2. Bees Knees
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
- 1 oz lemonade
- 1 oz honey-thyme gastrique
- Thyme for garnish
Instructions for Honey-Thyme Gastrique: 1 quart honey 1 quart white vinegar 1 large handful fresh thyme
1. Combine vinegar and thyme in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. In another saucepan, bring honey up to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Slowly pour the honey into the vinegar and thyme mixture with care not to add too quickly as it will boil over. Bring the honey-vinegar mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 12 minutes.
4. Strain the mixture into a container and let cool.
3. Slice of Life (Which we will all need after finals week)
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz St. George Terroir Gin
- .5 oz Savannah Bee Company honey water
- .75 oz watermelon juice
- Slice of watermelon (garnish)
- Basil (garnish)
Instructions:
1. Combine honey and water 1:1 to make honey water.
2. Combine all ingredients, then charge and shake with ice in a carbonated cocktail shaker.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass with a slice of watermelon and basil garnish.
Courtesy of Seven Lamps in Atlanta