Thyme for Maine Blueberries

Thyme is readily available in early spring and until Maine’s most popular berry is ready for harvest, frozen blueberries are fine to use in the Thyme for Blueberries cocktail. In this beverage, the thyme is subtle, the blueberry simple syrup sweet and beautiful, and the citrus and soda a lovely balancing act. It just might be the cocktail to convert a gin naysayer. Add club soda and it can be repurposed for summer, especially when the fresh berries are available.

For the blueberry-thyme simple syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 cup Maine blueberries

4–5 thyme sprigs

For the cocktail

2½ ounces of your favorite Maine gin

1 ounce blueberry-thyme simple syrup

½ ounce lemon juice

½ ounce lime juice

Short rocks glass (for serving)

A few Maine blueberries (for garnish)

Lemon peel, curled (for garnish)

1 thyme sprig

For the simple syrup

In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the blueberries and thyme and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Let cool. Pour into glass jar or container with the thyme and berries and store in refrigerator. Store without the thyme for a subtler thyme flavor.

For the cocktail

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the gin, blueberry-thyme syrup, and citrus juices and shake until cold. Strain into short rocks glass and garnish with Maine blueberries, a lemon peel curl, and fresh thyme sprig.