This fennel and peach sour will be your new favorite fall cocktail! Fennel vodka meets honey peach simple syrup in a refreshing drink with tarragon!
What a week we had last week! For those of you following along on Instagram, you’ll know the hubs and I headed to Walt Disney World for eight days last week, and it was such a blast! While we probably underestimated how hot it was going to be (the “feel like” temperature was 104 degrees. We were planning our afternoons around where we could stop indoors for shade and air conditioning, but regardless we had such a fun time!
Related: A Pear Affair: A Pear Cocktail
I’m going to be sharing our trip recap later this week and next week, but for today, it is October! I can’t even believe how quickly the year is flying by as we enter this final quarter of 2018. I feel like every year, the time goes so much quicker. Why do you think that is? I wonder if it’s because we pack our schedules with more and more things and requirements every year that it seems like the time just soars on by. Maybe that’s a lesson to be learned for 2019 🙂
Related: A Smoked Sage Cocktail
But for today, I’m okay taking a little bit of extra time to slow down and make the delicious homemade fennel vodka and yummy peach simple syrup for this fennel and peach sour cocktail. The most time consuming part of this cocktail is remembering to create the fennel vodka a few days in advance – but it’s super simple, so don’t worry! Just vodka + fennel seeds + airtight container. Easy peasy! The longer you let the vodka sit on the counter and soak up that lovely anise flavor, the more potently delicious your cocktails will be – but it’s basically just based on what your flavor preference is. Since the hubs isn’t super fond of fennel, I just let it sit for about 48 hours, but you could even let it sit up to a week if you prefer!
Related: My Halloween Spooky Cocktail
On the day of (or the night before!), you’ll want to prepare your peach simple syrup. Do this a few hours in advance so that you have time for the simple syrup to cool completely before serving. Then, it’s as easy as shaking up your cocktails in your favorite shaker!
shop this post
muddler, old (we got ours in a Crate & Barrel set from several years ago, but this new copper collection is amazing, and very similar!)
Fennel and Peach Sour
Ingredients
For fennel vodka:
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
For peach honey simple syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 peaches pits removed and cut into 2" chunks
For cocktail:
- 2 ounces fennel vodka
- 1 ounce peach honey simple syrup
- 1 sprig tarragon
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- Lots of crushed ice
- Garnish with tarragon sprig
Instructions
For fennel vodka (make 48-72 hours in advance):
-
Combine vodka and fennel seeds in an air tight container, preferably a glass jar with a airtight seal lid. Set on the counter for 48-72 hours, or longer if you prefer a stronger fennel taste. Strain the fennel seeds from the vodka, and then rinse out any seeds that remain in the original storage container. Return vodka to the airtight container and leave at room temperature until ready to make cocktails.
For peach simple syrup (make at least 2-4 hours in advance, to allow time for chilling):
-
Combine water, honey and peaches in a small saute pan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the honey is completely dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow peaches to steep for 20 minutes. Strain peaches from the simple syrup and store syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For cocktail:
-
In a shaker, combine fennel vodka, simple syrup, tarragon sprig and lemon juice. Fill shaker with ice and shake for 20-30 seconds until well combined. Strain into a cocktail glass and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with tarragon sprig. Enjoy!