Classic summer cocktails with a herby twist

We've all seen good old Jamie O work his magic with herbs in the kitchen, but we like to give them a go to spice up some old favourite drinks. Frankly, one of the reasons we launched our Summer Herb Collection is so that we can experiment a bit more with cocktails! We've mastered a couple that we know you'll want to try - a Thyme Pimms and a Lavender Martini.

Classic Summer Cocktails

Thyme Pimms

You might associate thyme with roast chicken, but we think it works wonderfully in this garden party cocktail with a difference!

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• one lemon, quartered
• 4 springs thyme
• 3/4 cup Pimm’s No. 1
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cup lemonade.

Directions:

1. Stir together the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Add the lemon quarters and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Once cool, strain out the lemon and thyme.
3. Mix the syrup with the Pimm’s, lemon juice and lemonade in a jug. Cheers!

Lavender Martini

Lavender reminds us of an English country cottage garden. Enjoy a bit of old school nostalgia with this delicious concoction.

You'll need:

• Ice
• 1tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2.5tbsp of vanilla vodka
• bunch of lavender blossoms

To make the lavender syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups of sugar

Directions:

1. To make the lavender syrup, mix one cup of water, three cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of lavender blossoms in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat and let syrup steep for about 30 minutes.
3. For your cocktail, use just over a teaspoon of the syrup poured over ice in a cocktail shaker along with the vanilla vodka and lemon juice.
4. Shake and strain into a martini glass and stick a sprig of lavender in for the perfect Instagram shot!