I started cocktail week in 2015 as an opportunity for me to celebrate adult beverages in an approachable way. I’m not a bartender but I love to experiment and try out new things at home. You know, sort of like a home baker? But with cocktails instead. I love focusing on simple cocktails (check out one of my 5 minute cocktails) and I believe cocktails don’t have to be difficult to make at home. This year, I’m so excited to focus on WOMEN INSPIRED COCKTAILS – I can barely contain myself.
So last year’s cocktail week theme was all about Golden Girls – so I guess you could say I’ve already done the women inspired cocktails theme. I still watch Golden Girls even now, in 2018. I love them. All of these years later, it’s still pretty funny and relevant. I’ve seen every episode and think I did a pretty decent job of creating simple cocktails representative of the Golden Girls (here’s the Zbornak Zinger).
This year isn’t specifically focused on a particular cast of a show but these are women who I love and am pretty inspired by. By the subject of this post, any guesses who this first cocktail is inspired by?
Women inspired cocktails: Reclaiming my thyme
If you guessed Maxine Waters, you’d be correct. This is a no judgement zone BUT please tell me you were familiar with Representative Waters long before her “reclaiming my time” fame? Here’s a little background on Auntie Maxine (that’s what I like to call her).
Congresswoman Waters is an outspoken advocate and voice for people of color, women, children – you name it. According to her website’s biography, she was elected to her fourteenth term in 2016, in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 76 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California.
She’s pretty cool.
The reclaiming my thyme cocktail obviously has thyme as an ingredient. It’s light but packs a flavorful punch (much like Representative Waters) with a thyme and lemongrass simple syrup. In my opinion, it’s a pretty classic cocktail given that the base liquid is lemonade. I mean, we all know how classic lemonade is. It’s thirst-quenching and just plain old delicious. Alright, enough rambling – let’s have a drink.
Reclaiming My Thyme
If you cannot find lemon & elderflower soda, try it with club soda or a flavored, sparkling water.
Ingredients
- 1 oz gin
- 2 oz lemonade
- Thyme & lemongrass simple syrup
- Lemon elderflower soda
- Thyme for garnish
To make the simple syrup
- Water
- Sugar
- Thyme, fresh
- Lemongrass, fresh
Instructions
For the syrup
- Combine all ingredients over low eat; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the herbs to steep and the syrup to cool.
For the cocktail
- In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, simple syrup and lemonade. Strain into a glass then top with soda. Garnish with thyme.
