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!
Beautiful photos as always. My favorite memory is spending the summer weekends in Napa. What’s better than sitting around, drinking wine, and eating all the cheese all day? :)
when your garden is overgrown with mint so you throw a mojito party… that is summer joy at its best. :)
I would have to say that one of my favourite drinks memory were the gin and tonics I had as sundowners on my trip to Africa. Such a great way to end the day.
Thanks for the chance to win.
When only starting to meet with my soon to be husband, I visited him in the city where he lived and he took me for a tour around town. I was familiar with the town, but not with the places he specifically likes. One of the places we went to is a shop that sells fine wine and cheeses and got a tasty cheese and a belgian beer with lemon which I never saw again, including in the same shop – called ‘Lambic’. Near where the shop is located, on top of a very high hill, there is a promenade where you can walk or sit on a bench and see the whole city and the bay. It was a great moment and a great beer.
I love Kahula, Butterscotch Schanapps and cream. After a couple of these cool things you start feeling all fuzzy inside. And the best part is if they can start tasting like tootsie rolls dipped in butterscotch!
Favorite summertime drinking memories are from the Bastille Day celebrations in Brooklyn, drinking cocktails and enjoying the sun and people.
I love going with my husband and dog to nearby wineries over July 4th and drinking rose out in the hot sun.
My favorite summertime drink memory from this year involves taking a long, hot bike ride to the pool with some friends. Then we swam and swiped on bourbon lemonades to cool off!
Awesome recipe! My favorite summer drink is a 14’er aka a double 7up and Seagrams 7 – it’s my go to drink on the golf course in Montana!
my favorite summer memory was making sangria at home, for the first time and having a nice get together with my friends on my patio. It was the one evening we all got together and caught up. We haven’t seen each other in years. One of my friends made a caprese salad with some quinoa added to it.