Cheers to Friday! I’ve been loving coming up with fresh cocktails these last few months. Even though it’s still summer-hot here in Houston, everyone is talking about fall, so inevitably it’s on my mind. However, no need for a literal fall interpretation in this cocktail, just tasty flavors that are refreshing and work for fall. Let’s toast to the weekend with this muddled plum and thyme cocktail!
What’s the sense in purchasing pre-made mixers, when one can easily create a fresh tasting cocktail in little to no time, right? I like to keep a handful of different herbs in my pots and planter outside, like basil (remember this delicious basil smash cocktail?) and rosemary. I also have thyme, but it’s one of those herbs that seldomly gets used in my kitchen.
Infusing herbs into your cocktails is simple. Once I learned how to do it, my mind was blown. Why wasn’t I doing this always? Create a homemade simple syrup on the stove and infuse fresh herbs in it. Use it once it cools, for this muddled plum and thyme cocktail, or jar and keep for later.
When I think of fall, I personally think of rich hues and shades like deep oranges and purples. Plums are totally an underrated fruit in my opinion. Whenever I do actually eat one, which isn’t often, I always remember why I love them. Muddled for a cocktail, plums create a rich, deep velvety mauve shade, that’s oh so perfect for fall.
Muddled Plum and Thyme Cocktail
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Water
- 6-8 sprigs Thyme
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Plum chopped
- 5 oz Vodka (we used Tito's)
- 4 oz Champagne (we used Chandon)
Instructions
Thyme Simple Syrup
- In a saucepan, dissolve water and sugar; bring to a boil
- Once mixture is boiling, turn off burner and add washed sprigs of Thyme
- While simple syrup mixture is cooling, steep thyme in it for at least 10 minutes
Cocktail
- Garnish empty cocktail glasses with 2-3 sprigs of fresh Thyme
- Chop fresh plum and add to a cocktail shaker
- Halve and juice 1 lemon, add to cocktail shaker
- Add 1 oz of thyme simple syrup and use a muddler to mash the mixture
- Add 5 oz of vodka and shake cocktail shaker vigorously for 15 seconds
- Pour into cocktail glasses, filling only ¾ of glass, and add 1-2 ice cubes
- Top cocktail with a splash of champagne and garnish with another sprig of fresh Thyme
