TL;DR: The golden hour is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with Dry Shot Blood Orange Spirit, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and thyme, topped with soda water. It takes 4 minutes to make. The bitter citrus of the blood orange kava spirit and the aromatic oils from fresh thyme create a layered, herbaceous drink with no alcohol and kava's calming lift within 15–20 minutes. Serves one.
Fresh thyme and honey syrup, a pour of Blood Orange Spirit, and soda. The thyme goes herbal and a little savory against the bitter citrus. The honey rounds both of them out. It's the drink for when the light hits right and the evening isn't quite over.
This is the recipe that proves bitter spirits don't have to go in bitter drinks. The Blood Orange Spirit's citrus edge is still present and forward, but the honey syrup pulls it toward warmth and the thyme pushes it toward something almost savory. The soda lifts the whole thing. It works in a wine glass with a large ice cube, and it works as the drink you're still holding at the end of the night.
What herbs work well with blood orange kava spirit?
Thyme is the best pairing because it reads herbal and slightly savory, which offsets the bitter citrus without adding sweetness. Rosemary works in a similar register — more piney, slightly more assertive. Basil makes it sweeter and more floral. All three are correct. The only wrong call is dried herbs — the aroma comes from the oils in fresh leaves, and dried herbs don't have them.
Serves 1 · Prep 4 min · Glass Wine glass or rocks
What you need
- 2 oz Dry Shot Blood Orange Spirit
- ¾ oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water, stirred to combine)
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 oz soda water
- Ice
- Thyme sprig and lemon wheel to garnish
How to make it
- Add the thyme sprigs and honey syrup to a shaker. Press the thyme once or twice — enough to release the oils, not enough to shred it.
- Add the spirit, lemon juice, and ice. Shake for 10 seconds.
- Strain into a wine glass or rocks glass over ice.
- Top with soda water.
- Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig and a lemon wheel.
Made with Dry Shot Blood Orange Spirit — bitter, citrus-forward, built for spritzes and highballs.