The Rye-Fighter: A Cocktail for May the 4th
As I mentioned in my post on another cocktail I created to celebrate May the 4th, Rye-Lo Ren, as a huge fan of Star Wars, I was disappointed with the lack of proper cocktails associated with one of my favorite movies. While things are getting better, there are still some really bad Star Wars drinks out there, usually just with vodka and adding juices or sodas, and sometimes horrible abominations that I won’t speak of lest I begin my descent to the Dark Side.
“Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters.”
THE RYE FIGHTER
I created this cocktail way back in 2018 when we had some friends over for dinner and to watch “The Empire Strikes Back” (of course, the best of all the Star Wars movies).
When adding the garnish, cut a wide swatch of orange peel, then cut that into two large squares (forming the panels of the TIE Fighter). Use a cocktail pick to skewer one orange panel, a brandied cherry, then the other panel, forming a TIE Fighter shape.
- 2.0 oz Rye Whiskey
- 0.5 oz Manzanilla Sherry
- 0.25 oz Thyme-infused Cointreau (recipe follows)
- 0.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- 2 dashes West Indian Orange Bitters
- Garnish: two pieces of orange peel (cut into squares) and a brandied cherry
- Preparation: Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish as directed above to create a TIE Fighter shape with the orange peels and cherry.
The Kitchen Chalkboard we decorated for our dinner with friends.
THYME-INFUSED COINTREAU
- 1 375 ml bottle of Cointreau
- 0.5 cup thyme sprigs
- Preparation: Gently slap the thyme sprigs to release the oils, then add them and the Cointreau to a large glass jar with a lid. Gently shake or stir every few days and let sit in a cool, dry place for up to a week. Fine-strain the solids and pour the liquid back into the Cointreau bottle. Make sure to label it properly so as not to confuse it with regular Cointreau. The thyme-infused Cointreau should last indefinitely.