Highlander

Why This Recipe Works

The floral, faintly earthy chamomile picks up the grassy herbal quality of the thyme, suggesting heather-laden Scottish Highlands. We veered away from smokier Islay-type whiskeys to preserve the freshness of the drink and preferred the more neutral and balanced counterpoint of a blended Scotch. This drink is based on the principles of the Sidecar subfamily of cocktails, which sets a strong spirit against a sweet liqueur and a hefty dose of citrus. Lemon was a natural pairing with the Scotch. We've generally liked serving our shaken drinks straight up in a cocktail glass, as shaking a cocktail will usually dilute the cocktail sufficiently. Here, however, we liked how the cocktail evolved and relaxed over ice in a rocks glass, with the drink starting off powerful and concentrated before unwinding in the glass over time. In addition to the lemon peel, you can garnish your cocktail with a fresh thyme sprig, if desired.