Fresh Thyme Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month. Keep refrigerated.

Common thyme produces a more savory, earthy syrup; lemon thyme produces a brighter, more citrus-forward result — use the variety that best suits the cocktail you are making. Thyme releases its aromatic compounds more slowly than mint or basil, so a gentle fifteen-minute simmer followed by fifteen minutes of steeping produces a more fully extracted syrup. Remove the thyme stems as well as the leaves — the woody stems contribute astringency rather than flavor. For maximum shelf life, ensure the syrup is completely cooled before bottling; bottling warm herb syrups creates condensation inside the bottle that accelerates deterioration.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a Mediterranean herb documented in use by ancient Egyptians as an embalming agent and by ancient Greeks as a temple incense — the name derives from the Greek thymos, meaning courage, and Greek soldiers bathed in thyme water before battle. The herb has been a staple of European cooking since antiquity and is one of the core aromatics of classic French cooking, appearing in the foundational bouquet garni alongside parsley and bay leaf. Thyme's entry into craft cocktail culture followed the broader herb syrup movement of the early 2000s, and the herb's earthy, slightly savory herbal character proved particularly compatible with gin botanicals and citrus-forward cocktails. Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) — a cultivar with a pronounced lemony character — became a favorite of craft bartenders specifically for cocktail syrups because its combined herbal-citrus profile eliminates the need for separate citrus addition.

A thyme-lemon syrup, made by adding the zest of two lemons to the finished warm syrup and steeping for ten minutes, amplifies the natural citrus notes and creates an excellent mixer for gin-and-tonic and sparkling wine cocktails. A honey-thyme syrup using honey in place of white sugar produces a more complex, floral sweetener particularly well suited to aged rum and Cognac. For a thyme-black pepper syrup with a gentle savory heat, add one teaspoon of coarsely cracked black pepper during the final five minutes of simmering.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Thyme is in the mint family (Lamiaceae); those with known mint family sensitivities should use with caution.