What I’m Drinking Now: Christa Thomas and the Virginia Sunryes

Christa Thomas is the lead mixologist at The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa in Hot Springs, VA.

Inspired by Virginia’s rich spirits heritage and bold local flavors, this layered libation marries rye whiskey, mezcal, citrus, and a stunning Virginia red wine foam for a drink that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. The Virginia Sunryes cocktail is really balanced with a subtle smokiness from the mezcal that really shines through in the end. You get all the nice spices from the rye, citrus from the lemon and the Demerara syrup contributes deeper notes of vanilla toffee and caramel than a normal simple syrup would.

We express the oils from the orange twist over the wine foam foam, giving it an incredible orange aroma. The foam, made using an iSi whip canister charged with nitrous, results in a velvety, aromatic layer that crowns the cocktail and lends a hand in tying all of the notes together and keeps you going back sip after sip.

Print Pin

Virginia Sunryes

Course Drinks

Keyword Demerara syrup, lemon, mezcal, orange bitters, red wine, rye

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz. Catoctin Creek rye
• 1 oz. Mezcal
• ¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. Demerara syrup
• 4 dashes Orange bitters
• Top with Red wine foam

Instructions

• Combine ingredients and shake.
• Pour into glass over ice.
• Top with red wine foam.
• Finish with an expressed orange twist.

Notes

* For Red wine foam: Combine 3 oz. Virginia red wine, ½ oz. fresh lemon juice, ½ oz. simple syrup and 1 egg white in an iSi whip canister charged with nitrous.

Christa Thomas, lead mixologist at The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa, created this recipe.