Winter Thai'd Recipe

Bay leaf infusion for okolehao

Place 1 cup okolehao and 4 dried bay leaves in a clean jar. Seal and let steep at room temperature for 12–24 hours for a gentle savory aroma. Taste after 12 hours; if bay flavor is strong enough, strain earlier. Once desired flavor is reached, strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter into a clean bottle and discard leaves. Measure out 1.5 oz per cocktail when assembling.

Cilantro infusion (optional concentrated aroma)

Place 0.5 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves into 0.5 cup basil eau de vie (if you are making basil eau de vie from scratch skip this step). Lightly bruise leaves with a spoon to release oils, seal and steep for 4–8 hours refrigerated for a bright herbaceous note. Strain and reserve basil eau de vie. If you already have basil eau de vie, you can add 2–3 small cilantro leaves to the assembled drink instead of doing an infusion.

Rice wine vinegar prep

No cooking required. Measure 2 tablespoons for batch infusion tasks and 0.25 oz per drink. Keep chilled.

In a small saucepan, combine 0.5 cup coconut cream, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, and 0.25 cup warm water. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is homogenous (do not boil). Whisk in 1 tsp mild curry powder and 1 tsp lime zest, simmer very gently for 1–2 minutes to marry flavors, then remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and strain through a fine sieve to remove any curry lumps or zest solids. Transfer to a bottle and refrigerate. Syrup will keep 5–7 days chilled.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Add 1.5 oz bay leaf-infused okolehao, 0.5 oz basil eau de vie (or basil/cilantro-infused spirit), 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.25 oz rice wine vinegar, and 0.5 oz coco/curry syrup to the shaker.

Dry shake (without ice) for 5–8 seconds if you want a slightly frothy texture, then add ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds to chill and dilute properly.

Double strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass over fresh ice, depending on preference.

Garnish with a fresh cilantro sprig and, if desired, a small toasted bay leaf (briefly singed with a lighter away from the drink and waved above for aroma) or a thin lime wheel.

Serve immediately. Adjust syrup or vinegar in future pours to tweak sweetness and brightness: add 0.25 oz more syrup for sweeter, or 0.25 oz more vinegar for tangier.