Left Me Rye & Dry Recipe

Make infusion

Place 3 tbsp honey in a small heatproof container. Pour 3 tbsp near-boiling water over the honey and stir until fully dissolved to create a honey syrup. Add 4 fresh thyme sprigs, cover, and let steep for 15–20 minutes at room temperature to infuse herbal notes. Strain out thyme and transfer syrup to a jar. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Yields about 3 oz of infused syrup; use 0.5 oz per cocktail.

Chill glass

If serving up, place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail. If serving on the rocks, prepare a rocks glass with a large clear ice cube.

Combine ingredients

In a mixing glass, add 2 oz Redemption Rye, 0.5 oz Amaro Nonino, 0.5 oz LoFi Dry Vermouth, 0.5 oz thyme-honey infusion, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, and 2 dashes Scarborough bitters.

Ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass with ice (about 1 cup). Stir briskly but smoothly for 20–30 seconds (roughly 20–30 full strokes) until the mixture is well chilled, slightly diluted, and properly integrated. Aim for the mixing glass to feel very cold to the touch.

Strain and finish

Discard ice/water from your chilled serving glass if used. Fine-strain the stirred cocktail into the chilled coupe (or over the large clear ice cube in a rocks glass).

Garnish

Express a lemon twist over the cocktail to release oils, run the twist around the rim, and drop it into the drink. Lightly slap or clap the remaining fresh thyme sprig to release aromatics and garnish the drink with it (rest on the rim or float atop the cocktail).

Serve

Serve immediately. Sip and note the interplay of spicy rye, bitter-sweet Amaro Nonino, dry vermouth backbone, and the honeyed thyme lift with bright lemon and Scarborough bitters accent.