Lemon Thyme Collins Cocktail for Summer Solstice

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with this Lemon Thyme Collins; it’s a fantastic combination of ingredients sure to be a favorite all summer long!

I think this summer has seen a trend in my schedule that I admit I didn’t expect. I’m not on top of the cocktail making if you can believe that? So busy with so much yard work and well probably overdoing it. After so many weeks of digging and planting I’m having a physical letdown of immense proportions. I mean TIRED!! So I’m offering up some great cocktails from summers past. When I first published this Lemon Thyme Collins cocktail it was to herald the Summer Solstice.

I’ve realized for some time that this drink deserves more than recognition for one day; it’s one of my favorites. Light, refreshing and super cold, it’s the perfect antidote for a hot summer day; whether it’s prior to or after the day of Summer Solstice; the longest day of the year.

When I made this cocktail with the Summer Solstice in mind it seemed most appropriate to use the Reyka Vodka from Iceland that I have in my stash.The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Around the Summer Solstice the sun is visible for the full 24 hours given fair weather. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the farther towards either pole one goes.

There are no permanent human settlements south of the Antarctic Circle, so the countries and territories whose populations experience it are limited to those crossed by the Arctic Circle, i.e. Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Greenland, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Alaska in the United States and Iceland.

Celebrating the Summer Solstice is cause for celebration in Iceland and there is even a ‘Secret’ Summer Solstice Festival which isn’t’ really all that secret if you’re interested in heading up that way. Report back OK?

As the first vodka to be distilled and bottled in Iceland, the makers of Reyka have created their ideal vodka using the country’s pristine resources. Not only is this barley and wheat vodka clean, but it also comes with an air of prestige attached to it due to the distillers behind it, William Grant & Sons (makers of Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and Hendrick’s Gin) and Master Distiller, Kristman Olafsson.

These masters of spirits have designed the distillation perfectly to fill a need for a purer and more responsible production and, as Olafsson puts it, a “uniquely Icelandic” vodka. It’s impressively priced and I think the perfect mixer for cocktails; it’s one of my favorites.

This cocktail is a take on a Tom Collins but with a twist. Instead of gin I’ve used vodka and added some blood orange liqueur to the mix. A bit of thyme and more lemon seals the deal and the result is a light, crisp and altogether refreshing cocktail that works all summer long, no solstice about it!

PIN ‘Lemon Thyme Collins Cocktail’

Yield: One Cocktail

Summer Solstice Collins

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Blood Orange Liqueur
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1 sprig thyme
• Club Soda, chilled

For Garnish:

• Thyme sprig
• Orange and Lemon Slices

Instructions

1. Combine vodka, blood orange liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and thyme sprig in cocktail shaker, fill with ice. Shake firmly 10-12 times and strain over ice filled glass.
2. Top with club soda and garnish with additional thyme sprig.

Notes

To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water over medium heat just until water starts to boil and sugar is dissolved. Cool before using.

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