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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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.
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.
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.
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.
Try these other simple syrups:
- Ginger syrup
- Pumpkin spice syrup
- Rhubarb syrup
- Plus get more ideas in the drinks recipes archives.
Thyme simple syrup
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar 100g
- ½ cup water 120ml
- 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
Nutrition
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Angela
This was so good! I love to use this in my cocktails to give them a different flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!
Caroline's Cooking
I agree, it adds a lovely subtle flavor to many cocktails!