Do you love it when it rains in the summer? I love the respite from the heat, the sound of the rain beating down on the windows, and that little bit of coziness in an otherwise decidedly un-cozy season. I like to curl up in an armchair with a good drink in hand and just dream away the afternoon.
These little summer session old fashioneds are the perfect drink to curl up with. First off, they’re a session (a riff off of session beers; lower alcohol beers), which in theory, allow you to drink more while getting less drunk. In that sense, they’re not technically old fashioneds, but they have a couple of similarities: bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters.
That’s where the similarities end. I added in some thyme for herbaceousness, as well as some citrus fruit for a bit of a summer punch. Then I threw everything into Bonne O’s Home Carbonation system to bubble it all up. Bubbles make all drinks better and this is extra fun because all of the items go straight into the bottle for the ultimate infusion of flavor.
I know summer is winding down, but I hope you guys are getting your drink on anyway!
GIVEAWAY: I paired up with Bonne O to give away a Home Carbonation System so you can get creative and make your own fizzy drinks at home.
ENTER: To enter, leave a comment below with your best summertime drinks memory. I want to hear ALL the details! I’ll randomly choose a winner and contact them by email. Open to Canadian and US Residents only. (Sorry international friends.) Contest ends September 7th at 12AM PST. Good Luck!
Update: Congrats Katelyn, you’ve won yourself a Bonne O! Check your inbox for the details!
Thyme Simple Syrup Recipe
makes about 1/2 cup of syrup
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4-5 springs fresh thyme
Add the water and sugar to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat then remove from the heat. Add the thyme springs and let steep for 15 minutes. The longer you let it steep, the more intense it will be.
Summer Session Old Fashioned Recipe
serves 3-4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
- 1 orange
- 1 grapefruit
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 6-7 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 batch thyme simple syrup (see above recipe)
- water, or sparkling water to top
- orange twists, to garnish
- thyme springs, to garnish
Section the orange and grapefruit and cut into bite-sized chunks.
For Bonne O Home Carbonation System: Place the fruit and bourbon in the bottle. Shake in the bitters and top to the rim with ice-cold water. Place the thyme syrup in the flavor chamber and activate the machine to carbonate. Pour over ice and enjoy with orange twists and thyme!
In a pitcher: combine the fruit, bourbon, bitters, and thyme simple syrup. Top with 1 1/2 – 2 cups sparkling water. Pour over ice and enjoy with orange twists and thyme!
My best summertime drink memory is when I was in the Navy. I had been deployed to Cuba for work (which was long, hot, and not all that fun). The one thing that gave us all the opportunity to relax and de-stress was the tiki hut bar, overlooking the ocean, with the best mojitos I have ever had. Our bartender was a Cuban national who was always willing to reminisce about growing up on an island in the Caribbean… I miss those days, and personally can’t wait to be able to go back and remember some of my best friends and see some of the best views.
Ya can’t beat a good Margarita, although tequila makes me want to go skinny dipping in the lake!
My best summertime drink memory is drinking hendricks and soda with cucumber and ginger slices out on our balcony watching July 4th fireworks with my husband and son.
We used to have cook outs when I was younger at my grand moms and she made a lemonade out of sugar lemons and added some fresh strawberries and kiwi to it..I will never forget those sweet and delicious coolers. I make them now for my little ones!!
One of the most refreshing hot weather drinks is pineapple lemonade with shredded mint. It’s simply home-made lemonade (you adjust the sweetness to your liking) mixed with a generous amount of pineapple tidbits and natural pineapple juice. The lemonade to pineapple ratio is about 50/50. Stir in a handful of shredded mint leaves and voila! Delicious!
Yummi!!!
My favorite summer drink has always been a Pina Colada
My favorite summer drink memory would have to be picking up iced toddy lattes with almond milk after work. Sooo creamy and soooo good (especially during those hot and steamy 100+ degree summer days).
Citrus rind- ,lemongrass-,and mint infused rooibos tea sweetened with honey to quench summer thirst at home!
And i also had a red expresso frappé in Capetown which was SO refreshing. It’s made with the local Rooibos tea, caffeine-free- a definite thing to try!
That looks amazing! My favorite summer drink memory was when I made a batch of peach mint juleps for a bbq at a friend’s house. They were amazingly delicious with mint simple syrup – maybe a little too delicious. One attendant didn’t realize the drink was alcoholic and drank a full iced solo cup full. While they had a good night, I heard the next day that the following morning wasn’t quite as good.