Strawberry and Thyme Margarita

When I first happened upon Tequlia Por Mi Amante aka strawberry infused tequila I was totally intrigued and it just happened to be when all those amazing Hood strawberries were coming in hot, it was serendipity, I made a batch. What an amazing batch it was, I brought it to a party to fashion some cocktails, we made one batch and drank the rest straight! Lesson learned, always and I'm not messing around here, make two batches. Gone are the days when strawberry season rolls around do I think of shortcakes and pie, my mind wanders to this tequila every time. The strawberries are so prominent and sweeten the tequila a bit, it only takes a small amount of the simple syrup with a hint of thyme to make these even more exotic. There is one small caveat with this recipe, the tequila takes three weeks to infuse, plan accordingly and you won't be disappointed. 

XO

Lisa  

Serves 2

4 oz strawberry infused tequila  (recipe to follow)

2 oz Cointreau

2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 oz thyme simple syrup (recipe to follow)

Combine in a shaker tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and thyme simple syrup filled 1/2 way with ice. Shake until mixed and chilled. If you are into salt with margaritas this is where you would salt the rim of your rocks glass. I prefer no salt with these margaritas and would proceed to fill glasses with ice and strain the margarita mixture into glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

Tequlia Por Mi Amante 

Adapted from The Gentleman's Companion: Being an Exotic Cookery and Drinking Book

2 quarts strawberries, washed, hulled and halved if on the large size

750 ml reposado tequlia

Add strawberries to a 4 quart mason jar. Cover berries with tequlia. Store is a cool, dark place, gently shaking the jar every few days. Store for 3 weeks. Once 3 weeks have passed strain the mixture into another container, I used a few large coffee filters placed in a sieve. I prefer to store the tequlia in the refrigerator so it's ready to sip on at a moments notice or nicely chilled for a cocktail.  

Thyme Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 small bundle of fresh thyme around a 1/2 oz

Add 1 cup water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, add fresh thyme and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool for 15 minutes and strain. Discard thyme. Refrigerate syrup until ready to use.