Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 16 – Irish Honey. This is a really interesting cocktail that combines Irish whisky with a honey thyme syrup, Galliano vanilla liqueur and a twist of lemon. It’s quite simple but surprisingly complex. The honey thyme syrup I created for this cocktail is a riff on the Honey Rosemary syrup from this French 75 recipe I posted last year.
It’s hard to believe but we are already two thirds of the way through this advent calendar, which means that Christmas is only 9 sleeps away from Christmas morning.
As you can see, I’ve paired this cocktail with another of the nutcrackers from my extensive collection. This guy is one of my favourites. He comes from an authentic Christmas market in Germany and is a lovely example of classic craftsmanship. His little dog and rifle absolutely slay me, too precious.
Are you like me and tempted to reinvent your entire holiday decor each year? CB2 and West Elm are full of temptation every season. This year I’ve seen a trend towards more minimalist decor – wire or paper Christmas trees, simple wooden figurines and neutral palette ornaments. I love the chic effect of this understated look and was so tempted to dispatch with my current red, white and silver theme but managed to restrain myself.
I suppose there’s always the option of waiting until Boxing Day and getting all that loveliness at 70% off. But then you’re really taking a gamble on whether or not it will continue to be en vogue next year. Who knows, maybe next year will be all disco metallics or defined by the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2019 – Living Coral. Personally, I absolutely love coral but I would have a hard time reconciling that with my holiday decor.
I know not everyone follows a colour scheme at Christmas. Some Christmas trees are a riot of clashing colours, rainbow lights and treasured ornaments, acquired over a lifetime. There is certain charm to the authenticity of an uncoordinated tree, one that’s done for the memories, for the family, not for the ‘gram.
Whether your cozied up beside a hodgepodge tree of handcrafted ornaments and popcorn garland or a meticulously curated masterpiece, this Irish Honey cocktail will look equally good in your hand.
Cheers!
Irish Honey
- 2 oz Irish whiskey
- ½ oz Galliano
- ½ oz honey thyme syrup
- 1 lemon peel, for garnish
- 1 sprig thyme, for garnish
- ½ lemon
- 3 sprigs thyme
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup boiling water
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In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 2 oz Irish whiskey, ½ oz Galliano, and ½ oz honey thyme syrup. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into a rocks glass over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.
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Peel half a lemon with a potato peeler. Add peel to a heatproof jar, along with 3 sprigs of thyme, ½ cup honey and ½ cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve the honey and allow to cool.
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Put in a lidded jar and store in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.
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Strain out liquid into a jar.
Recipe adapted from: St. Onge, Christopher. "Midnight Muse." Food & Drink. Holiday 2018.
