Blackcurrant and thyme summer royale
Makes: up to 6 cocktails
Prep time: 20Total time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Blackcurrant and thyme summer royale
A scoop of crimson blackcurrant sorbet adds a lovely summery twist to this elegant cocktail, our take on the classic Kir Royale. You can push the boat out with Champagne, but sparkling wine works just as well
Makes: up to 6 cocktails
Prep time: 20Total time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
222Kcal
Fat
0gr
Saturates
0gr
Carbs
34gr
Sugars
34gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
1gr
Salt
0gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
For the sorbet (makes enough for 6 cocktails)
- 100g caster sugar
- 4 sprigs of lemon thyme
- 450g blackcurrants
- 2 tsp blackcurrant vodka
For each cocktail
- 30ml blackcurrant vodka
- a scoop of the blackcurrant sorbet
- sparkling white wine*, to serve
Step by step
- For the blackcurrant sorbet, put the caster sugar in a pan with 100ml of water and the thyme sprigs. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a simmer and simmer for 4-5 minutes until syrupy. Set aside and leave to cool with the thyme sprigs still in the syrup.
- When completely cool, discard the thyme sprigs from the sugar syrup and pour it into a food processor with the blackcurrants and vodka. Blitz until smooth and then pass through a sieve. Freeze in a shallow container for 6 hours until solid, then blitz again in a food processor to create the sorbet texture. Refreeze until you want to make the cocktail.
- To make the cocktail, remove the sorbet from the freezer, 10-15 minutes before serving. Add the vodka to a coupe glass, then add a scoop of the sorbet. Top up with sparkling wine to serve. *Use vegan sparkling wine if required.
