Muddling Through

About three months ago, I wrote about a delightful cocktail called the "Ten Thyme Smash" that I had enjoyed at a local fine dining establishment. Seeking to emulate the experience at home I tried to find a recipe for the drink without success.

Now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Ben from Infinite Monkeys, the secrets of the Ten Thyme Smash have been revealed:

With the help of Monkey David and Dr. Zaius, last week I successfully mixed the Ten Thyme Smash. And Chad is right: It's a great drink. Perfect for the Summer of Gin.

The Bank in Minneapolis describes the Ten Thyme Smash as "refreshing and sophisticated -- fresh thyme, cucumber and lime shaked with ultra premium tanqueray ten gin and white cranberry -- the perfect apertif."

Sounds easy enough. And it is! I used the raspberry-thyme smash as my baseline. Instead of raspberries, it's a simple matter of muddling thyme with cucumber. I found that adding the lime juice expedited the process nicely. Fresh ingredients are vital. So is a muddler. Tanqueray Ten, however, is optional. I call the variation a "Tanq Thyme Smash." Here's the recipe.

* 2 fresh thyme sprigs
* 2 cucumber slices
* 1 oz. fresh lime juice
* 2 oz. Tanqueray Ten gin (or any decent gin)
* 3 oz. white cranberry juice

Strip leaves from the thyme sprigs. Place leaves in a shaker with two thickish slices of cucumber. Add the lime juice and muddle. Fill shaker with ice and add gin and white cranberry juice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass (pictured) or ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

As Ben notes, it is a perfect drink for the Summer of Gin. And this weekend, sounds like a perfect thyme to get smashed.