A D⭑mn Good Thyme

Photo: Steph Sorenson

Any Bachelorette or DWTS fans out there?!  Over Valentine’s week I got to co-host a cocktail segment with Kaitlyn Bristowe and her Spade & Sparrows wine club virtual event.  (Think scrunchies, bathrobes, impromptu karaoke, and women across the country connecting over a shared love of vino.)

“For a long time, wine has been marketed exclusively to men . . . I knew I had to change that.”
- Kaitlyn Bristowe via Good Grit

They challenged team FOOD LA LA to create a wine cocktail, and might I say, we delivered.  Wine in a cocktail—rather unexpected, huh?!  Stick with me.  We smoked some thyme, whipped up a thyme-infused simple syrup, and then made a cocktail base similar to a Bees Knees.  And on top, we floated a generous splash of Pinot Noir. 

Et voila . . . A D*mn Good Thyme.

We had so much fun I wanted to share the recipe with you, too.  Scroll down for the recipe and below for a quick video tutorial (FOOD LA LA’s first TikTok 😬)

For the rest of the evening, we sipped cocktails (or Kaitlyn’s new favorite—rose with sliced jalapeños bobbing), talked about off-the-wall wine pairings (nachos and pinot grigio = acceptable), and enjoyed the comic bantering of Robyn Schall (my favorite IG follow of 2020).

“She created a space where women can be themselves.  Spade & Sparrows has quickly become a catalyst for women supporting women.”
- Kaitlyn Bristowe via Good Grit

So as tomorrow fades into the weekend, mix yourself up A D*mn Good Thyme, mmkay?

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FOOD LA LA RECIPE: A D⭑mn Good Thyme

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar - you'll have leftovers!

• 3-4 sprigs thyme

• 1 oz lemon juice

• 1 oz aquafaba - the water from a can of chickpeas!

• 1.5 oz gin (or vodka)

• 1 oz Spade & Sparrows Pinot Noir or Cab Sauv

Steps:

1. Thyme infused simple syrup: in a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup of sugar with ¼ cup water. Add 2 sprigs of thyme. Warm and stir over medium low until sugar dissolves. Set aside, let cool.

2. Prepare cocktail glass: lightly burn a sprig of thyme, as it begins to smoke, place glass upside down on top of smoked thyme and let it sit.

3. In shaker combine: .5 oz thyme infused simple syrup, lemon juice, aquafaba, and gin. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a wine glass, fine strain if possible.

4. Serve: hold a spoon on top of cocktail and turn it so the back of spoon is facing up. Carefully pour wine over spoon to create a wine float.

5. Garnish: with smoked thyme and lemon peel. Sip like ya mean It.