This delightfully fragrant lemon and thyme liqueur is the taste of summer sunshine in a glass. Think limoncello but with the added depth of herbal thyme, perfection!
It is summertime and what is better than sipping a well-chilled tipple in the garden of an evening with friends. This homemade summer thyme liqueur is just perfect for summer sippin and also makes a great foodie gift for any time of year.
This is rather like limoncello liqueur, that gorgeous drink so loved by the Italians. Check out my super easy recipe for delicious Limoncello Liqueur (+Video!).
Love your lemons
You will want unwaxed lemons for this recipe but if you can’t get them just use normal lemons and give them a good scrub in hot soapy water, rinse well and pat dry before using.
You want the zest of the lemons here so use a peeler and avoid that bitter white pith. Once you have zested the lemons you can cut in half and squeeze out all that lovely tangy juice.
What is a liqueur?
A liqueur is a sweet drink, the alcohol has sugar dissolved into it which is what gives it that sweetness.
An infusion on the other hand contains no sugar and is merely the fruits or herbs soaked in the alcohol of choice till it takes on their flavours. This is a liqueur so you will want to add sugar.
Ingredients for lemon and thyme liqueur
- Vodka – that’s my base for this lemon and thyme liqueur though you could use gin if you prefer.
- Lemons – see notes above re unwaxing your lemons
- Sugar – as stated above you need sugar to make a liqueur, just standard white sugar
- Thyme for the herbal element – I’ve used lemon thyme which gives the liqueur even more of a hit of lovely lemon flavour.
How to make this liqueur
Mix all ingredients in a jar and pop on a lid and shake well. Store in a dark cupboard and shake every day for a week. After this pour through a muslin or kitchen towel (double thickness) lined sieve and pour into sterilised bottles.
Serve this summer thyme liqueur well chilled, you can keep a bottle in the freezer. It will keep for up to a year so makes a great foodie gift too.
Cheers!
Looking for more super easy fun liqueurs to make at home? Then check out these recipes before you go;
How to make chocolate whisky lover’s liqueur
Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur
Christmas Cheer spiced liqueur
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Lemon and Thyme Summer Thyme Liqueur
Ingredients
- 6 lemons unwaxed or washed to remove wax
- 750 ml vodka
- 200 g sugar
- 500 ml water
- 4 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 large bunch thyme
Instructions
- Peel the zest from the lemons in strips then squeeze out the juice into large jar
- Add the vodka, water and sugar to the jar
- Bruise the thyme before adding to the jar and popping on the lid
- Shake well and store in a dark cupboard shaking every day for a week
- Strain through double layer of either muslin or kitchen roll and pour into sterilised bottles
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