Some days you’re all up for doing the most: the good ice, the special glasses, the spectacular garnish, the perfect pour. This Cocktail of The Week is not for one of those days. The savvy girl-about-town needs to have a few lazy day drink recipes in her back pocket. Perfect for those when the week has gotten on top of you and you can just about summon the energy to halfheartedly open a bottle, maybe two, tops…but definitely couldn’t manage a half decent shake.
If you’re lucky enough to have a significant other/roommate/good friend who is a bartender, you can ask/beg/trick them into shaking something up for you. When the ennui + thirst + laziness combo hit me this week, I made myself a Honeyvine Thyme and Ginger, which is the Cocktail of the Week.
Honeyvine is a new twist on mead, yes, the beverage that launched a thousand Dungeons & Dragons sessions. Honeyvine is created from a blend of California white wine blended with natural honey. It’s light, crisp and slightly sweet, meant to be served as a dessert wine or as an aperitif. It also lends itself to some simple cocktail tinkering, and I do mean simple—two bottles to open, no shaking. The peppery bite of the ginger plays off the sweetness of the wine perfectly, resulting in a refreshing beverage that was just what I needed.
Honeyvine Wine, Thyme, and Ginger
5 ounces Honeyvine
2½ ounces ginger beer
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme (or rosemary) for garnish
1 lemon wedge, also for garnish
Pour Honeyvine over ice. Top with ginger beer. Add herb sprig and lemon wedge.
Honeyvine is also great with some muddled berries and a basil leaf over soda or chilled with a few slices of cucumber. It retails for $15.
I would never know about these exciting concoctions had it not been for you. Shaken not stirred with a sense of humor and occasionally some nostalgia! Thank you.
Thanks for reading, Loise!