{drink week} Summer Thyme Cocktail

For a recent anniversary celebration, my love surprised me after work with this cocktail. While I would like to take credit for it, I really didn’t do much other than ooh and ahh and slurp it down appreciatively.

Mint seems to get all of the glory when it comes to muddled herbs for cocktails, but we’ve made it our summer mission to muddle all sorts of fresh herbs, fruit and veggies in our evening libations. I’ve also been trying to keep at least one type of simple syrup stocked at all times, not only for cocktails but because a splash of sweet flavor can really fancy up a glass of plain seltzer.

SUMMER THYME COCKTAIL W/ BLUEBERRY & CITRUS
Makes two drinks

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces vodka (or try it with gin!)
• 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 lemon, sliced into 4 wedges
• 1/4 cup citrus simple syrup (recipe below)
• two sprigs of fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish
• tonic or club soda
• ice

RECIPE NOTE: Citrus Simple Syrup
I like to make my simple syrup with the traditional one-to-one ratio of sugar-to-water, but if that’s too sweet for you feel free to reduce the sugar a little bit. In a small saucepan, stir in one cup of sugar into one cup of water. Add in the peels from one lemon and one grapefruit and simmer over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove peels. To store leftovers, pour into a glass jar and refrigerate.

For the cocktails…METHODS
Add blueberries, two lemon wedges and thyme into a tumbler or tempered pint glass. Add simple syrup and muddle the fruit and herbs. Muddle them like crazy. Really put your shoulder into it, now is not the time to be timid.

Pour the vodka in and shake shake shake!

Strain into two lowball glasses with ice and top off with the bubbly stuff. Garnish each drink with a sprig of thyme and slice of lemon. Bottoms up!