Grapefruit & Thyme Ice Cube Hearts for Salty Dog Cocktail

Silpat can stand up to not only the heat in the kitchen🔥, we can also keep up with the cold ❄️

And this recipe is as cool as it can get.🧊

Impress yourselves with these boujie heart-shaped ice cubes for your next cocktail or mock tail. The Silpat Perfect Heart mold is the perfect size for cocktail ice cubes, the shape is where sweet meets, sophistication, and the non-stick silicone smoothly releases a round cube of glass-like ice. For the base recipe, we picked a Salty Dog, which is traditionally made with gin, but this version sparkles with vodka paired with fresh grapefruit juice and an herby-sweet thyme simple syrup. It also can be served with a candlelit dinner or a sunny, afternoon brunch

Starting with the cubes, they should be made ahead to allow the ice to fully freeze. The longer they are allowed to sit, the firmer they will be so they don’t melt too quickly in the mixed drink.

You could just fill the wells with water alone or you can go the absolute extra mile and extend the ingredients for the cocktail recipe by creating flavored ice cubes!

Ingredients

For the Thyme Simple Syrup:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 sprigs thymeFor

Flavored Ice Cubes:

For the Cocktail

1 tablespoon coarse salt, for glass rim
1 lime wedge
3 ounces freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice from 1 grapefruit
2 ounces vodka
 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime
 1/2 ounce Thyme Simple Syrup
optional ½ ounce of club soda

Grapefruit wheels or thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions

For the Thyme Simple Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add thyme, and allow to steep 15 minutes. Strain into airtight container.  Allow to cool completely before serving. Thyme Simple Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

For the Flavored-Ice Cubes : Place your Silpat Perfect Heart on a sheet or tray to keep it flat and stable. In a pitcher, mix the water, grapefruit juice, and thyme simple syrup until the mixture is pink and equally distributed. Pour the mixture into each Heart well until full. If you want to top with thyme leaves or sprigs, add now.  Place your tray of heart cubes into the freezer for least 8 hours or overnight. Once solidly frozen, remove from the freezer and unmold the cubes from the Silpat Heart Mold. If not using immediately for your drink, they can stored in an airtight container or gallon-sizes Stasher bag and placed back into the freezer.

For the Cocktail: Pour salt on a small saucer. Run lime wedge around the outer rim of a Collins or Couple glass and roll glass in salt to coat outside rim. Set aside. 

If stirring : Add heart ice cubes to glass. Add grapefruit juice, vodka, lime juice, thyme simple syrup and stir. Garnish with a grapefruit slice or sprig of thyme.

If shaking : Combine grapefruit juice, vodka, lime juice, and thyme syrup in cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with heart ice cubes. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Fill salt-rimmed glass with addition heart cubes and strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with thyme or lime if desired.