Saturday, August 27, 2016

The Fruity Flamingo – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer


A restaurant in downtown Paso Robles where we dined last weekend, La Cosecha, had a watermelon-thyme martini on the menu which I had a taste of and really liked.  This is my attempt to recreate that cocktail.  The mixologists there are into Pisco at the moment and also have a selection of home-infused liquors which they use in their cocktails.  The food at La Cosecha was good too - I particularly enjoyed the Pastelitos Catracho (Honduran beef empanadas) and my steak salad was really good too - no leftovers!  For this cocktail you need to make a simple syrup or the flavor of the thyme won't be strong enough.

To make the thyme simple syrup to a saucepan add:

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 good size sprigs of fresh thyme

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain into a glass jar (I use one of those salad dressing jars).  Leftover simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

To build the cocktail to a shaker 1/3 filled with crushed ice add:

  • 4 oz good quality vodka (I used Belvedere)
  • 2 oz good quality gin (I used Bombay Sapphire)
  • 4 1/2 oz watermelon juice (I used Trader Joe's cold pressed juice)
  • 1 1/2 oz of the thyme simple syrup

Shake and then strain into two cocktail glasses.

Makes two refreshing and colorful cocktails.  Cheers!

No comments:

Post a Comment