The Killing Thyme Cocktail at White Horse Lounge

We have always said the best way to kill time is with a cocktail and the Killing Thyme from Pasadena’s White Horse Lounge may just be our current fav. The botanical cocktail is made with gin and elderflower liquor along with lavender extract, aperol to a add a bit of a bitter taste and burnt thyme which gives a unique smokiness to the cocktail.

“While coming up with the cocktail, I had two goals. I first wanted to smoke the cocktail to add a certain taste. The second was to make a cocktail absent citrus,’ says Brett Chovan-Hahn, Bar Manager of White Horse Lounge. “I took the base model of a Negroni and twisted it around a little bit. I like the idea of rosemary and thyme. I tried both to see which would work better. Rosemary added a great flavor to it, but didn’t have the whole effect that I wanted. I then tried it with time. The smokiness was added to the drink, but the burnt thyme also brought out the sugars from the branch that I wanted to add to the cocktail.”

The barrel aged killing thyme is the cocktail’s secret item. Chovan-Hahn infuses the gin with the burnt thyme and batches the entire cocktail. It is then placed in a charred American oak barrel for no less than two months..

“It is a very spirit forward cocktail as almost all ingredients are liquor,” says Chovan-Hahn. “It works great on a hot day, or will keep you warm on a cold night. It is one of my favorite creations. It does pair well with any of our meats that we have on our menu. The lightness of the gin, aperol, and st germain still match the demanding nature of the ribeye. That is my favorite combination.”

Killing Thyme recipe and preparation

1 oz Fords Gin
0.75 oz St Germain
.5 oz Aperol
4 drops lavender extract
1 sprig burnt thyme

Directions: add all liquid ingredients to a yari glass. Burn the thyme and place into the liquid. Add ice and stir for approximately 6 to 9 seconds. Double strain into a double old fashion glass and garnish with an orange zest.