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!
At our last cocktail club I made delicious grapefruit mojitos with rhubarb simple syrup and fresh mint from our garden, perfect for hot summer days (and nights!)
I’m going to renew my love for booze and fizzy water. And get you teach me how to make them more awesome.
street side mojitos in dubrovnik. there is a funny shirtless super buff bald man that makes mojitos on the side of the street in front of an ice cream parlour. when you ask for the mojito he asks “are you going to party or are you going to sleep” and adds rum accordingly. they are surprisingly pretty decent mojitos.
Like you, I also love a good summer rain. It’s definitely a wonderful excuse to get all cozy and curl up inside (with a good beverage). One of my favorite summertime drink memories is 4th of July a few years ago when my friends and I randomly whipped up my now infamous blueberry mojitos, got drunk and came down from a sugar high, and then just laid around on my living room floor. Good times. :-) This carbonation thing sounds AMAZING!!!!!!
My favorite summer drink memory is getting this yummy elderflower drink in Amsterdam for the first time. It was amazingggg
For summer drinks, I think that there’s nothing like a mimosa. The way I know that I’m really on vacation is to be drinking a mimosa before noon, enjoying that play between the carbonation from the champagne and the acidity from the orange juice. I like to drop a few blueberries in for a hint of sweetness.
Love this giveaway! I just had to return my sparkler (different brand) due to malfunctions! I’m in desperate need of a new one!!
Being from Texas, I have to say my favorite summertime drink memories include margaritas!
Last summer, I was studying abroad in London and I stopped by one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. I had a pomegranate martini and it was perfectly tart, sweet, and refreshing!
drinking Chang Light (I know I know, limited options people) on the roof of my exchange school in Bangkok, Thailand with some of my best friends watching one of the most incredible sunsets of my life! (I am convinced after spending 7 months in Asia the sunsets are truly better on that side of the world…and I miss them dearly)
Summertime drinks on the patio of my new home, birds tweeting and cicadas chirping. Home sweet home!