'thyme' for a cocktail

 

the weekend is finally here so let's toast with a new cocktail!

 

last year, while in destin with my family, my grandparents took out some of the stragglers in their liquor cabinet to give to T and i. one of the liquors we received was limoncello which is delicious in its own right but, with it's lemony, liquorice taste, can be hard to pair with. so there it sat in our bar until a couple weeks ago i got to craving a lemon-driven cocktail. being lazy and not wanting to go to the liquor store for any normal go-to ideas, i thought it would be a good idea to try something using our lonely limoncello. the result? a light, summery drink that calms the overpowering limoncello to a friendly purr...so, i introduce, the sneaky cello.  

 

here's what you'll need:

 

vodka or gin (depending on your preference...T and i are divided)

limoncello

lemon juice

4 springs of thyme

drink muddler

 

first, strip two sprigs of thyme and place the leaves in your cocktail glass. using your muddler (if you don't have one, an ice cream scoop works just as good...so i've heard. okay, i used my ice cream scoop. no judging!), press firmly into the thyme leaves. your goal isn't to smash the leaves but to release the aroma of the herb. once you've done this, fill the glass with ice and pour 2-3oz of liquor. next, pour a couple splashes of limoncello and fill the remainder with lemon juice. lastly, add in your last two sprigs of thyme to help stir around the ingredients and leave for garnish.

 

then sit back, take a sip (or two) and relax!