Do you love Tom Yum? What’s better than Tom Yum Soup? A refreshing Tom Yum cocktail on the side for sipping and enjoying with all your favorite Thai foods. Make this original Thai cocktail recipe for your next gathering!
Be sure to use this easy Tom Yum simple syrup for this cocktail! Enjoy this Vodka mixed with Tom Yum herbs and simple syrup made with kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal.
For a complete Tom Yum experience, check out these Thai Tom Yum roasted mixed nuts and Tom Yum meatballs and have them ready to snack on while you enjoy your new Tom Yum cocktails.
They are perfect together! A mix of healthy with a fun splurge on the cocktail!
Jump to:
- What is Tom Yum Cocktail?
- Why this recipe work
- Ingredients
- Cocktail Ingredients you need
- How to make Tom Yum cocktail
- Simple syrup ingredients
- How to make Thai Tom yum simple syrup
- Helpful Kitchen Notes
- More Thai recipes you'll love
- Variations
- Equipment
- Top tip
- FAQ
- More Recipes to Try
- Tom Yum Cocktail
- Related
- Pairing
What is Tom Yum Cocktail?
Tom Yum cocktail is a unique cocktail concoction I create using the world-famous Tom Yum flavors using all the healthy and fragrant herbs. It's a delicious cocktail recipe you will enjoy sipping with a delicious Thai meal.
Why this recipe work
- It's an easy drink to make, with minimal ingredients.
- The Thai herbs used in the simple syrup are healthy! Read up on lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal here.
- It's delicious! This mouth-watering cocktail recipe has the most refreshing wonderful taste of sweet and sour.
- Works great as a fun drink for special occasions or just for a fun night of cocktails with friends.
- You can make this cocktail ahead of time in a large batch! See the FAQs section below for tips.
- You can make spiked Tom Yum cocktail ice cubes for enjoying later. See FAQs below for tips!
Ingredients
There are the ingredients you'll need for this lip-smacking cocktail recipe. A few of the Thai ingredients, like lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal, can be found at your local Asian markets in the refrigerated or frozen section.
Take a fun little adventure trip to visit your local market and grab a few ingredients for your Thai cooking night or weekend!
Cocktail Ingredients you need
- Vodka. Use unflavored Vodka for this recipe. Gin works, too, but Vodka takes on the flavors of the herbs so perfectly well that it won't interfere with
- Fresh squeezed lime juice. Lemon juice works too.
- Tom Yum Simple Syrup. See notes on how to make this flavor-packed simple syrup. Plain syrup can be a substitute, but all the Tom Yum flavors will not come through. Use extra herbs in the muddling process if unable to make Tom Yum simple syrup.
- Chili Roasted Nuts. For rimming and adding the most incredible taste and texture to this tasty drink.
- Thai fresh chilis peppers. For garnishing. For added spiciness, slice the fresh chilis in half and add them to your drink. The peppery oils from the seeds will add a kick to your Tom Yum cocktail!
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Tom Yum cocktail
Step 1. Make the Tom Yum simple syrup. Prepare the herbs for your simple syrup by smashing the lemongrass stalks and galangal rounds to release the natural oils for syrup.
Step 2. Add 1 kaffir lime leaf and a ¼ slice of galangal (dime sized) to a cocktail shaker. Muddle with a cocktail stick for 10-15 seconds until a herbaceous fragrant is released.
Step 3. Add your favorite unflavored vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add 4-5 cubes of ice and shake for 30-45 seconds. Take a small sip and adjust with more lime juice and syrup, or add more Vodka! Adjust until your taste buds are happy!
Step 4. Rim your cocktail glass with spicy toasted nuts. Then add a handful of ice cubes to the glass. Pour the cocktail into a glass and garnish! Use Thai red chili, lime wheels or wedges, kaffir lime leaves, or a stick of lemongrass. That's it! Enjoy your Thai Tom Yum cocktail!
Simple syrup ingredients
- Kaffir lime leaves. These give your syrup a citrusy, slightly bitter, but fragrant aroma. Look for these at your local Asian market.
- Lemongrass. Use whole fresh lemongrass. Find these at your local Asian market.
- Galangal. Galangal is a Thai herb similar to ginger but not the same thing. Find these at your local Asian market.
- Sugar. Use white or monk fruit sugar. Brown, coconut, or palm sugar creates more of a smoky, caramelized flavor, which is not ideal for this cocktail.
- Water
How to make Thai Tom yum simple syrup
- Add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of white sugar, and the 3 herbs into a stock pot. Stir and bring the syrup to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Let the syrup cool, strain, and store in a glass container for use in cocktails. The syrup will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Helpful Kitchen Notes
- Add sliced fresh Thai chilis in the cocktail glass when muddling the herbs in step 3 in the cooking instructions for a more spicy cocktail.
- Skip the muddling of the herbs if you prefer a more mild version. The fresh Thai herbs have strong, bold flavors. They act like bitters used in cocktails.
- Add a splash of soda water if you'd like a fizzy drink.
- When smashing the herbs to release their oils, use a heavy kitchen object like a rolling pin, a stone pestle, or a meat tenderizer, or use the back of your heavy knife. Be careful not to hurt yourself, please! (:
- Use extra herbs in the muddling process if unable to make Tom Yum simple syrup.
More Thai recipes you'll love
- Tom Yum simple syrup
- Tom Yum Roasted Mixed nuts
- Tom Yum meatballs
- Tanqueray blood orange
- Rogu gin with orange blossom
- Lavender cocktail with Empress gin
- Coconut lime mojitos with a Thai twist
- Spicy tamarind cocktail
Variations
Use unflavored gin instead of Vodka for a variation. Make a mojito out of it. Just as delicious. Vodka, however, takes on the flavors of the fragrant Thai herbs best, honoring the famous Tom Yum flavors.
Equipment
Helpful cocktail tools that you might need.
- Cocktail Shaker set
- Glass Cocktail Shaker
- Wooden Muddler
- Citrus Squeezer
- Mesh Strainer
- Cocktail or drinks glasses
Top tip
Freeze your leftover Tom Yum cocktails in ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove the cubes into a glass jar and keep them in the freezer. The next time you want a quick cocktail, remove the ice cubes into a cocktail glass, pour 1-2 ounces of lemonade or soda water, and enjoy the spiked ice cubes! Delicious!
FAQ
Thai people in Thailand don't normally drink wine or cocktails with their meals. However, you'll see plenty of cold frothy beer glasses amongst those who drink. Another common drink with Thais is Mekhong whiskey, either drank neat (straight up) or mixed with soda drinks like Coke or Pepsi.
Yes, you can! Unflavored vodka is the preferred alcohol for this Tom Yum cocktail. Mild, unflavored gin works great too. A mild tequila works as well.
Yes, you can. You can make a large batch of this Tom Yum cocktail beforehand! Mix all the liquid ingredients in a pitcher or large bowl, and cover until ready. Then add muddled herbs 10-15 minutes into the pitcher before serving, and that's it!
Yes, you can! This is one of the best things about this Tom Yum cocktail. If you make a large batch and don't want to throw away this famous Thai delicacy, freeze the drink in ice cube trays. When ready, remove the ice cubes into a cocktail glass, pour 1-2 ounces of lemonade or soda water, and enjoy the spiked ice cubes! Pure perfection. (;
More Recipes to Try
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Print
Tom Yum Cocktail
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Do you love Tom Yum? What’s better than Tom Yum Soup? A refreshing Tom Yum cocktail on the side for sipping and enjoying all your favorite Thai foods! Enjoy this original Thai cocktail recipe for your next gathering!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of unflavored vodka.
- 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice. Fresh lime juice works, too, but lime juice has the perfect zest you'll love!
- 1 ounce Tom Yum simple syrup. See the instructions below on how to make it.
- 1 tablespoon crushed chili roasted nuts for rimming your cocktail glass. Make these roasted Tom Yum nuts, or buy these pistachio spicy-flavored nuts.
- For garnishing. Thai fresh chilis pepper, jalapenos, or any hot peppers will do.
Instructions
- Make the Tom Yum Simple syrup. Prepare the herbs for your simple syrup by smashing the lemongrass stalks and galangal rounds to release the natural oils for syrup. *See instructions below.
- Add 1 kaffir lime leaf and a ¼ slice of galangal (dime sized) to a cocktail shaker. Muddle with a cocktail stick for 10-15 seconds until a herbaceous fragrant is released.
- Add your favorite unflavored vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add 4-5 cubes of ice and shake for 30-45 seconds. Take a small sip and adjust with more lime juice and syrup, or add more Vodka! Adjust until your taste buds are happy!
- Rim your cocktail glass with crushed spicy toasted nuts. Then add a handful of ice cubes to the glass. Pour the cocktail into a glass and garnish! Use Thai red chili, lime wheels or wedges, kaffir lime leaves, or a stick of lemongrass. That's it! Enjoy your Thai Tom Yum cocktail!
*How to make Tom Yum Simple syrup
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 stalks of lemongrass. Cut into 4-5 inch pieces. Smash the stalks with a heavy kitchen tool to help release oils.
- 1 slice galangal, the size of a quarter at ¼ inch thick. Smash with a heavy kitchen tool to help release oils.
- 1 cup sugar. Use white or monk fruit sugar, so the simple syrup is clear colored syrup. For esthetics and also the brown-colored sweeteners have a deeper and
- 1.5 cups water.
Instructions
- Add 1.5 cups of water, 1 cup of white sugar, and the 3 herbs into a stock pot. Stir and bring the syrup to a gentle boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn the heat off. Let the syrup cool, strain, and store in a glass container for use in cocktails. The syrup will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For a more spicy cocktail, add sliced fresh Thai chilis in the cocktail glass when muddling the herbs in step 3.
- Skip the muddling of the herbs if you prefer a more mild version. The fresh Thai herbs have strong, bold flavors. They act like bitters used in cocktails.
- Add a splash of soda water if you'd like a fizzy drink.
- When smashing the herbs to release their oils, use a heavy kitchen object like a rolling pin, a stone pestle, or a meat tenderizer, or use the back of your heavy knife. Be careful not to hurt yourself, please! (:
- Use extra herbs in the muddling process if unable to make Tom Yum simple syrup.
** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Shaker
- Cuisine: Thai
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Warapond says
Cool 👍
Suwanee says
Thank you, Rebecca!
Rebecca says
This is amazing! So inventive - never thought of a Tom Yum cocktail! - and of course, so delicious, as always. Your recipes are the *best*.
Suwanee says
How fun! Love that you both made it work so well for your needs! Hope you get to enjoy more and more of these in the future!
Suwanee says
Perfect, Sarah! Love that you know how to modify it to fit your needs and taste buds! well done!
Melody says
My neighbor is half Thai and she feeds me well😂 . We had both already talked about how good this recipe sounded. She whipped these up a few days ago by muddling the ingredients (since we were impatient)! I also, liked it more sour, with less sweetener. So, so good! The flavor profile was perfect😀
Sarah says
Yummy! Turned out great! I adjusted the sweetness to half for my personal liking since I prefer it a little more sour and muddled my herbs and used a plain simple syrup since I was in a pinch. Would make it again and I’d make the syrup ahead of time if making for a group.
Paired well with Thai appetizers I served
Suwanee says
Glad you loved it!
Mark says
Tom yum cocktail + Tom yum nuts = double yummy!