Thyme After All: A Big-Batch Cocktail Ready to Unlock Your Holiday Party

November has officially arrived — the air has turned crisp, the clocks have been set back and the sun now goes down at 5 p.m. We here at Gin Raiders firmly believe that there’s no better excuse than the turning of seasons to have some friends over, lean into the beauty of the great indoors and brew up a big-batch cocktail full of autumn enchantment!

The base is complete! Refrigerate overnight before adding gin. (Photo: Jake Abrams)

“Thyme After All,” as we’ve dubbed it (originally inspired by a recipe from Peanut Butter & Fitness), brings together the scents and flavors of a Christmas market, combining spiced apple cider with ginger, citrus and thyme. When you add gin, this big-batch concoction becomes a crowd-pleaser perfect for any holiday party. In our iteration, we went with The Botanist to add a citrusy, herbal finish. Don’t have any Botanist in stock? We’d recommend going with another great London dry!

(Photo: Jake Abrams)

Thyme After All

• 4 cups apple cider
• 2 ¼ cups Fever Tree Ginger Beer
• 2 cups of your gin of choice
• ¾ cups fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Cara cara orange, sliced
• 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 sticks for serving
  • 2 sticks for simple syrup
• 7 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4-5 sprigs for serving
  • 2-3 sprigs for simple syrup

1. Combine granulated sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve sugar. Once dissolved, turn off the heat and add 2 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 sprigs of thyme. Cover the pot and let the mixture steep for 10-15 minutes.

2. In a pitcher, combine the simple syrup from step 1 with all ingredients aside from gin and the remaining thyme sprigs. We used a large mason jar with a spout for ours, but the container is your call. Stir thoroughly and allow the mixture to refrigerate overnight.

3. Add your gin of choice and stir before serving. We found that this worked best served over ice and garnished with fresh thyme sprigs and cinnamon sticks!

Not a thyme lover? Feel free to check out these 12 seasonally inspired cocktail recipes!

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