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    Home » Drinks recipes

    Thyme simple syrup

    March 7, 2022 by Caroline's Cooking

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    This thyme simple syrup is an easy twist on a plain syrup with a gently aromatic, herbal flavor It's easy to make and adds a lovely flavor to cocktails, lemonade and more.

    This thyme simple syrup is an easy twist on a plain syrup with a gently aromatic, herbal flavor. It's easy to make and adds a lovely flavor to cocktails, lemonade and more.

    Jump to Recipe
    bunch of thyme and bottle of thyme simple syrup next to each other on cloth

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    When I was younger, I was never a particular fan of cocktails as I found most of them too sweet. To be fair, my exposure was very limited and it probably wasn't the greatest era for mixed drinks. In reality, I just hadn't found a sipper that suited my taste. 

    Over time, I've come to appreciate different kinds, and know I prefer ones that have a bit of sweet-tart balance going on. Plus making them at home, you can adjust the sweetness to your taste. Enter: simple syrups.

    closer view of bottle of thyme simple syrup

    What are simple syrups?

    Simple syrups are a classic ingredient to have on hand in any bar, both commercial and at home. They are a great way to add sweetener to drinks rather than adding plain sugar, which can have issues dissolving.

    The syrup is generally only sugar and water, but by warming them together, the sugar dissolves so that the resulting syrup blends easily into other liquids rather than possibly getting some grainy sugar in the bottom.

    Even if you want to use honey as a sweetener, making it into a syrup is a better option for drinks to be a more mixable consistency. 

    thyme sprigs in pan with syrup

    One of the fun things about them is they are also a great way to add some extra flavor. Syrups are easy to infuse with additional flavors, whether fruits, herbs or spices. Some are punchy, others more delicate, but they all help to subtly change the flavor of what you add it to.

    I've already shared a few other syrup variations and this one is another tasty flavor to try. The thyme is a relatively subtle flavor and adds a lovely gentle aromatic herbaceous tone. 

    pouring syrup through strainer into pourer

    How to use this syrup

    As I mentioned, this is great to use in cocktails wherever you might use simple syrup and the flavor fits. I really like it in a whiskey sour, but it could certainly be used in much more.

    It can also be used in non-alcoholic drinks such as to make a thyme-infused lemonade or sweetened iced tea. You could even use some drizzled over fruit salad or in baking - get creative!

    How long does it last?

    I prefer to make smaller quantities so that I don't have to worry too much about it going bad before I use it. With this syrup, as long as you strain out any solids, the remaining syrup lasts fairly well as there's not really anything in there to make it spoil.

    It should keep about as long as a regular simple syrup, which is about a month stored in a sealed bottle or jar in the fridge.

    This thyme simple syrup is easy to make and adds a lovely gently aromatic flavor to cocktails and more. So give it a try soon.

    bunch of thyme and bottle of syrup side by side

    Try these other simple syrups:

    • Ginger syrup
    • Pumpkin spice syrup
    • Rhubarb syrup
    • Lemongrass syrup
    • Plus get more ideas in the drinks recipes archives.
    bottle of thyme simple syrup with bunch of thyme to side
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Thyme simple syrup

    This simple syrup has a lovely delicately herbal flavor that adds a gently aromatic flavor to whatever you use it in.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    cooling time (approx)20 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 20 approx (makes approx ⅔ cup/160ml)
    Calories: 20kcal
    Author: Caroline's Cooking
    SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 4 sprigs thyme

    Instructions

    • Remove any woody stems from the thyme - you can use the rest as shorter stems or just leaves, as you prefer.
    • Add the sugar, water and thyme to a small pan and warm over a medium heat, stirring regularly to help the sugar dissolve. Only warm it enough to let the sugar dissolve and have the mixture just starting to simmer.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and allow the thyme to steep in the syrup for around 15-20 minutes as the syrup cools.
    • Pour the syrup through a fine strainer/sieve to hold back the thyme and store the syrup in a sealed bottle/jar in the fridge until needed.

    Notes

    I used regular sugar in the US, which is relatively fine - I'd recommend you don't use a coarse sugar to help it dissolve quicker and certainly not so that it still needs to dissolve before reaching a simmer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
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    This thyme simple syrup is an easy twist on a plain syrup with a gently aromatic, herbal flavor It's easy to make and adds a lovely flavor to cocktails, lemonade and more.
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    1. Sandra York says

      September 23, 2024 at 2:15 pm

      I made a gin a tonic with the syrup, delicious

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking says

        September 23, 2024 at 7:16 pm

        Glad you enjoyed, and sounds great!

        Reply
    2. Angela says

      March 11, 2022 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      This was so good! I love to use this in my cocktails to give them a different flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking says

        March 11, 2022 at 4:10 pm

        I agree, it adds a lovely subtle flavor to many cocktails!

        Reply
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