Where’s My Lulav?
About this Recipe
By: Hannah
I am delighted to bring you a lovely fall cocktail from resident mixologist, Hannah Moore. Last month, she brought us the delightful Endless Summer, a peach-and-bourbon creation for that magical, liminal time between summer and fall.
Now, fall has decidedly arrived—along with the holiday of Sukkot, which joins together commemoration and celebration of the wandering of the Hebrews after the exodus from Egypt and the harvest festivals of an agrarian people once they stopped wandering.
This cocktail is all about celebrating the arrival of Sukkot, when many Jews build temporary dwelling places (known as a sukkah) on their apartment balconies or in backyards and eat, drink, and even sleep under the stars. These shelters remind us of the fragile dwellings in which the Israelites lived while they wandered in the desert.
During Sukkot, a lulav (a bundle of palm, willow, and myrtle) and an etrog (a citron—a large lemon) are waved inside the sukkah in a ritual of joy and thanksgiving.
Hannah first named this cocktail Thyme for Fall, but she likes its second name even better: Where’s My Lulav? (Let’s just say it’s not to be found in this cocktail).
Where’s My Lulav?
Ingredients
For the cocktail
- 1 ounce (30mL) apple brandy or Calvados
- 1 ounce (30mL) bourbon or rye
- 1 ounce (30mL) apple cider
- ½ ounce (15mL) thyme simple syrup (recipe follows)
- ½ ounce (15mL) lemon juice
- ½ ounce allspice dram (such as St. Elizabeth’s)
- Dash of bitters
- 1 stem fresh thyme (for garnish)
For the simple syrup
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ½ cup (120mL) water
- 3-4 stems fresh thyme
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Make the simple syrup by combining sugar and water (you can use the recipe above, or use other amounts in a 1:1 ratio).Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes, add the thyme, and set aside to cool (it will thicken as it cools). Strain into a glass container, and store.
Step 2
- Add all ingredients except garnish to shaker with plenty of ice, shake until very cold and diluted, 15-20 seconds.
Step 3
- Strain into chilled cocktail glass, and drape the thyme stem over the edge of glass or drop it in. Sit outside in the chilly autumn air and drink up!
