Thyme of the Year is a warm, inviting cocktail made for winter in the southern hemisphere by the writers at LiquorLand Toast, a spirits magazine “made by Kiwis, for Kiwis.”
Madeira, a fortified wine, is the star of the show, lending a rich oxidized-raisin flavor that plays perfectly with citrus, apple juice (unfiltered if you can get it), and stone fruit jam (LiquorLand calls for apricot, but peach and plum are lovely too). The thyme is used as a garnish, but it’s definitely not optional; the scent of the herb, carried aloft on warm wafts of steam, defines the drink and fully justifies the name.
