I grow thyme year-round in my garden, which means I’m always looking for new places to put it. This thyme maple whiskey sour quickly found a spot in my rotation of go-to drinks thanks to the bourbon, lemon, and two syrups doing very different jobs.

Thyme simple syrup lends an earthy, almost savory edge to the drink, while maple syrup adds warmth and a touch of caramel weight. Lemon keeps the drink from going too sweet.

Together, they turn a basic whiskey sour into something with more personality than the original.

Why Two Syrups?

Thyme simple syrup is easy to make at home. Simmer fresh thyme sprigs with equal parts sugar and water for about five minutes, let it cool, then strain. Remember to always use fresh thyme. Dried thyme won’t give you the same flavor.

Maple syrup adds body and a caramel depth that bourbon already leans toward, so the two play off each other as they mingle in the shaker.

If you want to try other herb syrups in sours and spritzes, my full simple syrups collection has the rest of what I make on rotation.

Which Bourbon?

Skip anything high-rye or heavy on spice. You want a bourbon with caramel and vanilla notes, since that’s what pairs with the sweet and herbal flavors already in the glass.

A mid-range bottle is just fine, or a whiskey you grabbed at duty-free on your way home from Ireland is good too

(You don’t do that? Just me? You are missing out!).

If you’re building a home bar, pick something you’d also pour on its own so you aren’t wasting precious bar space.

Don’t Skip the Lemon Peel

The lemon peel isn’t garnish for the sake of garnish. Twisting it over the glass releases citrus oil onto the surface of the drink, and that oil is part of what you smell and taste on the first sip.

To get a clean strip without the bitter pith, I use a really good (but not expensive!) channeling knife.

For more on this kind of finishing touch, I’ve got a full guide to cocktail garnishes.

Add a Twist to the Recipe

Two easy options:

1. Add a pinch of cinnamon before shaking. This nudges it toward a fall drink, good from October through February.
2. Add two dashes of aromatic or orange bitters instead. This adds a layer of flavor without more sweetness.

How to Make a Mocktail

Skip the bourbon and use a strong, cooled black tea as your base. The tannins give it some of the same weight and structure you’d get from whiskey.

Keep the thyme syrup, maple, and lemon the same, and garnish with a lemon wheel. It’s a zero-proof drink that still tastes great.

If you want something closer to the original in a mocktail, I’ve also been testing non-alcoholic whiskey in sour-style drinks, and it works fairly well here too.

Bar Tools That Make This Easier

You don’t need much gear to make good cocktails, but a couple of tools change will definitely make them better.

A Boston shaker gives you a solid seal and a properly cold shake, which matters for anything sour-style. Pair it with a fine-mesh strainer to keep stray ice chips and thyme leaves out of the finished drink.

I don’t know about you, but I hate random ice shards in my drink. It always tells me the bartender didn’t strain it correctly.

For the glass, go wide and short. A rocks glass with a wider opening lets you smell the herbs and citrus before you sip, which changes how the drink comes across.

If you’re making rocks-glass cocktails often, a clear ice cube maker is one of the better upgrades you can make. Clear ice melts more slowly, so your drink stays properly diluted instead of watering down too fast.

And if you’re starting from scratch, a full bartender kit covers the basics in one order.

Everything I use regularly is also sorted by category in my Amazon shop.

Cocktail Recipes That Use Thyme Simple Syrup

Made a batch of thyme syrup? You’ll have plenty left over. Here’s where else to use it:

• Thyme Blackberry Bourbon Bramble
• Lemon Thyme Spritz
• Thyme Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour
• Lemon Thyme French 75
• Thyme Fig Whiskey Sour

Check out my full cocktail recipes archive, which is organized by spirit and season, for more ideas to keep your happy hour fresh.

Thyme Maple Whiskey Sour

Glass: Rocks glass

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• ½ oz thyme simple syrup
• ½ oz maple syrup
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• Large ice cube
• Garnish: lemon peel + thyme sprig

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake hard for about 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
4. Twist a strip of lemon peel over the top, drop it in, and add a small thyme sprig.

Twist: Add a pinch of cinnamon or 2 dashes of aromatic bitters before shaking.

Mocktail: Replace bourbon with cooled strong-brewed black tea (or non-alcoholic whiskey). Keep everything else the same. Garnish with a lemon wheel.