Lemon Thyme Gin & Tonic

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Cocktail History

The Lemon Thyme Gin & Tonic is a modern cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, as a variation of the classic Gin & Tonic. It uses the original template of gin with tonic water, but it calls for a lemon-flavored spirit, adds lemon juice and homemade thyme syrup for more complexity, and tops it off with of Fitch & Leedes Indian Tonic Water.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Indian Tonic Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with quinine, water, and sugar, which are infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a fizzy, bitter flavor.

Lemon Gin: This is a type of gin made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals, then infusing it with lemon peels to develop a crisp, citrus flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Thyme Syrup: This is a sweetener made with thyme leaves, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a fragrant, herbal flavor.

Lemon Slice: This is a slice of lemon that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Fizzy light yellow color

• Aroma: Tonic and citrus

• Taste: Tart lemon flavor that evolves into fruit juice and gin botanicals before the tonic water takes over

• Finish: Herbs and quinine bitterness

Kendall’s Take: “I don’t go for the Gin & Tonic template very often because I find the quinine flavor of the tonic to be too bitter for my palate, but I was really intrigued with this recipe’s herb syrup. I hadn’t made a thyme one before trying the Lemon Thyme Gin & Tonic and really liked how it mixed with the citrus. This would be perfect for warm weather and is a great pick if you want a G&T with a little something extra.”

Recipe