Let’s toast to the weekend with this Honey & Thyme Whiskey Sour Recipe. It’s tart, and oaky with just the right amount of sweetness.
A Staple for Your Home Bar: A Whiskey Sour Recipe with a Twist
Oaky, sour, tart, creamy, and extremely sippable the classic whiskey sour recipe is a near-perfect drink. This version adds a few tweaks for the sake of variety. It starts with making a honey simple syrup – one of my favorite ways to sweeten cocktails, avoid processed sugars, and reap some of the benefits of honey.
As an added bonus, buy your honey and eggs at your favorite farmers’ market to support local purveyors and make your drink that much more sustainable. An infusion of peppercorns (I used Schezuan peppercorns for a twist), cardamom, and fresh thyme give the syrup a seasonal warmth.
Speaking of honey…
You can meet a beekeeper in this post from my archives. It’s still a special one for me. Having a beekeeper in my life gave me a tremendous appreciation for honey bees and the process of honey extraction.
You can turn infused honey simple syrup into a soda alternative, or a refreshing non-alcoholic drink option for guests, with my recipe for Sparkling Cucumber Mint Lemonade. Just typing those ingredient names makes me feel like sitting poolside and soaking up some Vitamin D.
Make extra, and turn that infused syrup into a gift! This Homemade Gift version uses a spiced-maple syrup, but both simple syrup options are delicious and versatile.
You Might Also Like: Raw Cacao Bowl with Sliced Kumquats
If the citrus in this whiskey sour recipe has you craving more refreshing foods, you might also like this breakfast bowl idea from my book, The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook. It’s a base of teff porridge made with raw cacao powder. As an added bonus, teff (a tiny but mighty whole grain) has been shown to reduce the bloating, inflammation, and muscle pain associated with PMS. The more you know!
(photo below by Noah Purdy, styled by me, Quelcy)
Are You Here for the Dogs?
I’d be remiss to post a whiskey cocktail and not include a little shoutout to my girl, Julep. Here she is looking like quite the lady of luxury.
Honey & Thyme Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
Honey Simple Syrup
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsps peppercorns
- 4-5 cardamom pods, cracked
- A hearty bunch of fresh thyme
For An Individual Cocktail:
- 2 oz good rye whiskey
- 2 oz honey thyme simple syrup
- ½ -1 oz fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 1 egg white
- ice
Garnish
- A few dashes orange bitters, to taste
- Fresh thyme sprigs
Directions
For the Honey Simple Syrup:
- In a medium pot, heat the honey and water over medium heat until the honey is dissolved. Remove from heat, and add the peppercorns, cardamom pods, and fresh thyme. Cover and set aside to steep for at least 30 minutes.
- Once cooled, strain, bottle, and refrigerate until ready to use. Note: save the honey-steeped thyme bunch to use as a garnish.
For the Honey Thyme Whiskey Sour:
- Combine the rye whiskey, honey thyme simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and ice in a shaker, and shake aggressively until the shaker is cold.
- Strain into a martini or coupe glass, and use a spoon to add extra foam to the cocktail. Add a few drops of bitters, garnish with thyme, and enjoy!
