Turn Back Thyme Recipe

Make Thyme Simple Syrup Base

Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes just to a simmer, about 2–3 minutes.

Remove from heat, add fresh thyme sprigs and grated orange zest to the hot syrup. Let steep, covered, for 20 minutes to extract aromatic oils.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing on the thyme to extract liquid. Discard solids. Let syrup cool to room temperature (10–15 minutes).

Stir in apple cider vinegar to the cooled thyme syrup. Taste and adjust: for more acid, add up to 1 tablespoon more vinegar. Chill the shrub in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest (at least 15 minutes).

If you don't have a pre-made nonalcoholic mezcal substitute, make a smoked black tea infusion: steep 2 heaping tablespoons of Lapsang Souchong (or other smoky black tea) in 1 cup of just-off-boil water for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh into a heatproof container and cool. This yields the 'phony mezcal'.

In a mixing glass or pitcher, combine: 2 ounces (1/4 cup) smoked black tea infusion (phony mezcal), 1 ounce (2 tbsp) nonalcoholic sweet vermouth, and 1 ounce (2 tbsp) Campari-style bitter aperitif. For batch quantities use the cup measurements in the ingredients section (ratios: 2:1:1 by volume).

Add 1 tablespoon of the thyme shrub (from the chilled shrub you made) and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice per cocktail into the mixing glass. For the recipe scaled to 6 servings, add 6 tablespoons shrub and 6 tablespoons orange juice to the base mixture. Add 1 teaspoon orange bitters per serving (or 6 tsp for batch).

Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes and stir gently for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. Stirring integrates flavors and chills without over-diluting.

If desired, rim the serving rocks glasses with a little orange juice and dip in coarse salt for a subtle saline contrast. This is optional.

Place one large ice cube in each rocks glass. Strain the mixed cocktail evenly into six prepared glasses (about 3.5–4 ounces per glass).

Express an orange peel over each drink to release oils, rub the peel along the rim, and drop it into the glass. Garnish each with a fresh thyme sprig tucked into the ice.

Serve immediately. Encourage guests to gently bruise the thyme in the glass with the peel before sipping to release extra aroma.