Have you ever cooked with or otherwise used thyme? If you enjoy herbal flavors but haven't given this particular one a chance, drop everything you're doing and go to the store. Thyme is a fantastic complement to many different fruits. It's likewise magical in soups and just about anything roasted. Within the realm of cocktails, I tend to use thyme alongside pear and apple flavors. The results never disappoint.

This cocktail, apart from paying homage to the Madeleine L'Engle novel that got me started on science fiction (5 points if you got that reference), combines thyme, pear, gin and bitter lemon with dangerously drinkable ratios. Pear is a tricky fruit to work with raw, so I tend to buy natural pear juices/nectars to make my life easier. If you have a juicer, you can reap the extra health benefits of homemade fresh pear juice (fiber, vitamins and minerals galore).

I chose to use gin as the spirit as it's always beautifully elevated when paired with fresh herbs and botanicals. If you're curious about which types of gin I tend to favor, I highly recommend trying Koval Dry Gin (local to Chicago) or any variety of St. George gin (CA). St. George is especially great for narrowing down the botanical mix you prefer (spice, floral, or earthy notes).

To add some natural fizz with a twist, I topped the cocktail with Seasons Soda Bitter Lemon Tonic. This soda is local to Chicago and features a blend of maple, orange blossom honey, aromatics and bitters. I loved that it heightened the complexity of the cocktail rather than watering it down. Plus, no refined sugars or preservatives!

If you're feeling extra fancy when you make this one, you can garnish with a lemon peel spiral and a thyme sprig as shown in the photos. I prefer to make my spirals using a channel knife - starting at the top of the lemon, I trail the channel knife in a spiral path, maintaining constant pressure. You may need to physically twist the peel into a spiral after you separate it from the lemon. I also find that lemons with thicker peels lead to better spirals due to the relative rigidity of the skin.

A Wrinkle in Thyme

2 oz gin
1 oz pear juice
1/2 oz thyme syrup*
3 oz bitter lemon soda
fresh thyme sprig (garnish)
lemon peel (garnish)

Shake first three ingredients with ice until chilled. Strain into rocks glass over a large ice cubic or spherical ice cube. Top with soda and garnish. Enjoy while discussing the implications of time travel with your nerdy friends.

*To make syrup, heat 4:1 parts water:sugar in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Add thyme and keep on heat for 5 minutes, making sure thyme is fully submerged. Strain, allow to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the inspiring glassware.

I'm not generally a big gin and tonic fan due to the bitterness of tonic water. Gin, however, is my favorite. Why? It single-handedly adds so much complexity to a cocktail, especially if you choose a gin with a wider variety of botanicals than just juniper. After getting some very exciting additions to my cocktail arsenal for the holidays (my friends know me very well), I thought to give the classic G + T another chance, but with a twist. An elderflower and cucumber twist.

My neighbors have always been supportive of my cocktail adventures and were very sweet to gift me FeverTree elderflower tonic water and an exciting array of bitters. Another friend gave me a cucumber and lime syrup from quince & apple. If you have never heard of quince & apple, now is your chance to fix that and eat and drink everything made by them. I may be partial to them because they're based out of Madison, WI but their cocktail syrups and jams are inventive, natural and absolutely delicious! Another plus is that the syrups are very concentrated so a little goes a long way.

Conveniently, elderflower, cucumber and citrus are always a wonderful combination of flavors - light, floral and refreshing - and pair well with multiple types of liquor. To sweeten the deal, I used Rehorst Gin by Great Lakes Distillery. Three cheers for mixing with local ingredients! My friend had long talked about Rehorst being the only gin she enjoys and I understand why - it's different from the rest. Rehorst is made with sweet basil and Wisconsin ginseng, making it a touch more floral and earthy than other gins. In other words, it doesn't just taste like drinking Christmas.

The G + T

2 oz gin
1 tbsp quince & apple cucumber and lime syrup
1 quarter lime
FeverTree elderflower tonic water

Cut a sliver off the lime wedge and set aside for garnish. Squeeze the rest into a tall glass filled roughly halfway with ice. Add gin, cucumber and lime syrup and elderflower tonic water per your personal preference. Stir, then garnish with the remaining lime sliver and a colorful straw. Enjoy to cool down after an adventure-filled day.