Man I miss cocktail hour with friends after work. How about you? It’s been a full year since all the restaurants and bars shutdown in my area. However, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Restaurants and bars will be at 50% capacity this Friday, giving many some reprieve which we’ve all been praying for. Winter here was pretty brutal which made outdoor gatherings impossible. It was just so much easier staying in with my stretchy pants and snacks! So I decided to kick off a spicy happy hour where I go live and make some of my favorite fiery cocktails. For my last session, I made this spicy lemon & thyme martini.
This spicy lemon and thyme cocktail will have you thinking of Spring and warmer days ahead. It may just be one of your new favorites and a way to impress your friends when you start gathering again. If you want to learn how to make other spicy cocktails, join me every Thursday at 6pm on Facebook . I start the session with a cocktail and let you in on what’s new with Hot Lollies and Hot Stuff Subscription! It’s just a fun way to stay in touch and enjoy a spicy drink.
Here I am finishing up the cocktail. I store all my simple syrups in glass jars or bottle as you can see in video. Glass containers with tight lids are perfect since they’re non-reactive, better for the environment. You do not need to refrigerate the syrup but be sure to use it within a week. After a while it will start to crystallize and can form bacteria. If you don’t think you use it all up within a week, refrigerate it for up to a month. I love making simple syrups and infusing them with different herbs and fruit. I’ll create a post soon of all my favorites. They’re so easy to make and add amazing flavors to cocktails and spirits. Enjoy and happy St Patrick’s Day!
Spicy Lemon & Thyme Martini
Equipment
- martini shaker
Ingredients
Spicy Lemon & Thyme Martini
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Lemon juice
- 1/2 oz Lemon Thyme simple syrup
- 1 tbsp Habanero sugar for rimming glass
- 1 slice Lemon
Lemon & Thyme Simple Syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 slices Lemon
- 3-4 sprigs Thyme
- 4 slices Jalapeño
Instructions
- To make simple syrup, mix sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a few sprigs of thyme, a couple of slices of lemon, jalapeno slices and stir until well mixed. Heat until sugar dissolves completely. Let the syrup cool completely and pour into a glass jar.
- In a shaker with ice, add ice, vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup and give it a good shake. Strain into a habanero sugar rimmed martini glass.
- For a stronger martini, use 3 oz of vodka and reduce lemon juice and simple syrup to 1/2 oz each.
