A Negroni is stirred over ice (not shaken). And served with a twist or slice of orange.

It’s well known for its lovely color and perhaps less known for it’s colorful history.

The day we enjoyed these two beauties was the same day the temperature broke 80 degrees. We had planted our spring flower beds, spread 15 bags of mulch and raked a mountain of leaves.

We were hot and we were thirsty!

When these two glasses appeared one the top of our fence, it was like a cool breeze swept over our patio.

Love Thy Neighbor

Ms. Pat moved into the house next door late in 2019. We had only met once or twice before covid swept the nation and socializing with friends and neighbors virtually stopped.

As a family we found ourselves looking for ways to remain positive and keep the kids engaged. We turned to chalk art and used the streets of our neighborhood as our canvas. We carried our buckets of chalk from one end of our community to the other, stopping randomly to spread a little cheer.

t was Ella’s flower garden chalk drawing in front of Ms. Pat’s house, complete with a picture of her dog Remy, that started our friendship.

There is a fence between our two backyards. Most conversations are had peering sideways through one of the diamond shaped openings.

And They Will Love You Back

There’s just enough of a shelf at the top of the fence to perch a bowl of Paella or a loaf of hot baked bread or a slice of the most delicious white coconut cake or two Negroni Cocktails.

Ms. Pat is pretty particular about her Negroni Cocktail and after sipping these deliciously refreshing libations, who am I to question?

There is the classic bitter yet smooth flavor, but with deep fruity notes balanced by the sweet orange and vermouth and an almost herby finish.

She prefers Bombay Sapphire gin, Rosso Vermouth, and Cappelletti over Compari and also only uses fresh sweet oranges.

You do not shake, only stir this cocktail. And you serve over fresh ice with a beautiful slice of the sweet orange.

Cheers!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

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Pat’s Negroni Cocktail

This Negroni has the classic bitter yet smooth flavor, but with deep fruity notes balanced by the sweet orange and vermouth and an almost herby finish.

Course Cocktail

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 part Gin Pat prefers Bombay Sapphire
• 1 part Italian Sweet Vermouth Pat prefers Rosso Sweet Vermouth
• 1 part Compari Pat prefers Cappelletti
• 1 sweet orange cut into slices

Instructions

• Combine liquors into a glass and stir (do not shake). Pour into ice filled glasses. Squeeze one slice of orange into each glass, then garnish with separate orange slice.

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We recently had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Chattanooga, TN.

What a fantastic town!

Straddling the Tennessee River with sweeping views, Chattanooga has the right mix of adventure, culture, good eats (and drinks), nightlife, history, and natural beauty (aka sunrises that are worth getting up for).

Did I mention that Chattanooga has one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridges, placed precisely between the early-morning sunrises and end-of-day sunsets.

You all know I’m a sucker for fresh herbs. So when fresh basil is muddled with cucumber…my hand is raised high.

This cocktail has the right combination of fresh bright flavors.

When it comes to describing these two liquors, who better than the brands themselves.

“Meet the delightfully peculiar Hendrick’s Gin – a most unusual premium gin distilled in Scotland with curious, yet marvellous, infusions of cucumber & rose.”

Paired with “St-Germain, the new elderflower liqueur created in the artisanal French manner from freshly-picked hand-picked elderflower blossoms.”

Now add freshly muddled cucumber and basil leaves, a touch of simple syrup, a squeeze of fresh lemon & lime juice – shaken with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass.

This Cucumber Basil Martini is Summer Thyme Sipping perfection!

Cheers to the weekend!

And to a time when we can all move freely about the country!!

Until then, I’ve shared a couple extra pics from Chattanooga below.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Cucumber Basil Martini

You all know I'm a sucker for fresh herbs, so when fresh basil is muddled with cucumber my hand is raised high.

Course Drinks

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices cucumber skin on is fine
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce St-Germain Liqueur
• 2 ounces Hendrick's Gin
• 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice about 1/2 ounce
• 1 squeeze fresh lime juice about 1/2 ounce
• ice to shake
• fresh basil and cucumber to garnish

Instructions

• Chill cocktail/martini glass. Muddle the cucumber and fresh basil in a cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake until well chilled. Pour through a fine strainer into cocktail glass. Garnish with a thin slice of cucumber and piece of fresh basil. Enjoy!

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I may have a new favorite Summer Thyme Sipper.  Gin & Tonic {with Grilled Pineapple & Lemony Thyme}.  Photo bomb courtesy of Scrappy Thyme.

Wow on so many levels.  Have you had grilled pineapple?  Turned your nose up at gin?  Questioned fresh herbs in a cocktail?  If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions…

Listen up.

Welcome Lemony Thyme with it’s wildly fragrant tiny leaves.  My most prolific herb.  I took this picture pre-7-days-of-rain….no kidding.  Wait until you see it now.  I’ve been harvesting and drying as fast as I can.

This is my #1 Whiskey Barrel Herb Porch Pot.  Lemony Thyme is thriving and her sister Sage isn’t too shabby either.

My kid sent me a text a couple weeks back with this picture below, captioned “gin lemon lime grilled pineapple and thyme. yep.”

Hello sexy and welcome to my world.  I knew on the first hot & sunny day of the season I would be enjoying a Gin & Tonic {with Grilled Pineapple & Lemony Thyme}.

Grilled pineapple is wonderful.  The sweetness intensifies and brings great flavor to our otherwise citrusy cocktail with lemon, lime and lemony thyme.  Shelby’s instructions were “muddle slightly, top with tonic.”

Delicious.  Refreshing.  Sings of summer thyme.

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Gin & Tonic {with Grilled Pineapple & Lemony Thyme}

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

Per Cocktail…

• 2 slices of grilled pineapple
• 2 slices lime
• 2 slices lemon
• 4-6 sprigs lemony thyme
• 2 ounces gin
• 6 ounces tonic water or to taste
• ice

Instructions

• Place pineapple, lime, lemon and lemony thyme in glass. Muddle ingredients slightly. Add ice, gin and tonic. Enjoy!!

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This, my friends, is a London Scotland Strawberry Martini.  It’s a glorious concoction of gin, strawberry puree, grenadine, lemon juice, with a splash of champagne.  It’s sweet and refreshing.

You may have noticed that what had been planed all along to be a London Strawberry Martini, inspired by a visit to Café Intermezzo, was quickly renamed when B gently pointed out that Hendrick’s gin isn’t a London gin.

Wait.  What?

Call it a blonde moment, but it never occurred to me that the London Strawberry Martini got it’s name from where it’s gin was distilled. I was so excited to have a cocktail recipe to share with my niece Kate, who is newly relocated from NYC to London, that I just reached for the prettiest gin bottle in the freezer.

Sorry Sapphire, while I do love your blue hue shining through our LED illuminated freezer…Hendrick’s is one handsome bottle of gin. I have no gin experience.  Most of my gin memories scream pine tree.  Who wants to drink a pine tree?

I decided this summer that I needed to know how to make a good Gin & Tonic.  Which in turn meant that I would need to sip them.  Over the past few months I’ll admit that I have developed an appreciation for gin and even find it refreshing.  I’ve also learned that not all gin’s taste like pine trees or juniper to be precise.

Hendrick’s gin, delivered in it’s apothecary-style handsome bottle, has a cucumber influence.  So while my selection was completely based on beauty….cucumber and strawberry now sounds like a martini match made in heaven.

~ Scotland Strawberry Martini ~

1 1/2 ounces Hendrick’s gin
1/4 cup strawberry puree
1 Tbl. lemon juice
ice
1 Tbl. grenadine
splash of champagne

Shake gin, strawberry puree, lemon juice and ice in a shaker.
Pour into martini glass with grenadine.
Top with champagne.  Enjoy!!

Love you bunches Kate.  Hope London is treating you well.  Know that I’m always searching for the perfect Rye cocktail and stove top (no oven required) recipe to share with you. xoxo Aunt Libby

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The 13th hole at Augusta National aka The Masters Tournament is named Azalea.  While the entire course is a thing of beauty, there’s something extra special about a green tucked up amongst a backdrop of blooming azaleas.  Let that be the inspiration for this cocktail.

You don’t have to be a golf fan to appreciate the history and beauty that is Augusta.  However, in our house, we will never forget the shot Philly made from behind the tree to the 13th green.  That.  That was a thing of beauty.  On to the cocktail recipe.

~ Azalea Cocktail Recipe ~

1 part lemon or lime juice
1 part pineapple juice
3 parts gin
a splash of grenadine to give it a light pink color
shaker of ice
garnish with fruit skewered with golf tees or mini-Masters flags

Recipe source cdkitchen.com

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