Strawberry Thyme Cocktails

Give your favorite summertime drink a twist with these strawberry thyme cocktails. Make our quick strawberry simple syrup with fresh thyme, then shake it up with lime juice and tequila, gin, or vodka for an easy summer beverage you can make at home! Recipe for 21+; please drink responsibly.

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One easy way to step up your homemade cocktail game? Make your own flavored simple syrup! This colorful cocktail is perfect for 4th of July, backyard barbecues, or your next girls' night in. It's also perfect for beginners - you only need a few ingredients to get started!

We love using homemade syrup in place of triple sec or sweet liqueurs like Cointreau and Grand Marnier. It's the perfect way to infuse fun flavors (and bright colors!) into your favorite cocktails. (We use this method a lot - check out our Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade or Peach Bourbon Spritzers next!)

We're making a quick strawberry simple syrup with a few sprigs of fresh thyme to add a bit of depth and earthiness, then shaking it together with some fresh lime juice and tequila (or vodka! or gin!) for a bright, refreshing summer cocktail.

In these photos, we used tequila for a spin on a traditional margarita, and added a bit of salt to the rim of each glass. But this easy three-part cocktail recipe is just as good with a dry gin (we like Broker's) or your favorite vodka!

The basics of this simple strawberry syrup for cocktails:

Simple syrup is typically a 1:1 ratio of water and white sugar, heated together in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

In this recipe, we're adding fresh strawberries and a few sprigs of fresh thyme to infuse our syrup with extra flavor and give it a bright pink color. We're also reducing the water a little bit from that traditional 1:1 ratio, since our strawberries will release quite a bit of water as the syrup cooks!

The syrup cooks fairly quickly - you'll just need 10-15 minutes on the stovetop. When the sugar has dissolved and the berries have softened, let the syrup cool and pour it through a strainer to remove the berries and herbs. Use the cooled simple syrup right away or store it in the fridge for a few days until you're ready to mix your cocktails.

Freeze the leftover strawberries and save them for smoothies! We like to lay our strawberries in a single layer on a nonstick baking mat, then pop them in the freezer to set for an hour or two before transferring them to an airtight container or Stasher Bag in the freezer.

What spirit should I use for this cocktail?

This cocktail is based on a traditional margarita and uses a 1:1:2 ratio of simple syrup to lime juice to liquor. But it works well with just about any spirit you have on hand!

• Tequila. We like Espolòn Blanco Tequila for cocktails and margaritas!
• Gin. A dry gin is our favorite here. We tend to reach for Broker's, Tanqueray, or Beefeater London Dry.
• Vodka. Use whatever vodka you like! We typically use Sobieski, Ketel One, or New Amsterdam for cocktails.

(You can probably also use a good rum here, but our team is honestly pretty rum-averse so we haven't tested that particular combination. Hah!) You can also swap club soda or tonic water for the booze if you'd like a nonalcoholic version.

The most important rule when it comes to selecting cocktail spirits is simple: Use whatever you like to drink!

Riffs and Substitutions

• Tuck some strawberry slices along the sides of each glass for a fun and easy garnish. We recorded a quick video of how to do this here!

• Swap the strawberries in this recipe for any fresh berries you have on hand: blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries are all good! Peaches are excellent in this simple syrup, too. You can also use frozen fruit instead of fresh (you may just need to let it cook for an extra few minutes).

• Use fresh basil or rosemary in place of the thyme.

• Stretch these drinks a bit farther by topping them off with a bit of sparkling water, tonic water, or even champagne!

Love this recipe? Try our Blood Orange Margaritas →

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