I sought inspiration for this refreshing summer soda from Culture Club. However, I didn’t find the recipe to be super great, so I went my own way with it a bit. It turned out perfect, so I’m glad I followed my instincts on this one.

Ingredients needed:

6 lemons (You’ll juice 5 and slice the last one for garnish) 

A handful of thyme (you’ll use half for garnish) 

A cup of sugar and a cup of water (to make simple syrup) 

And club soda (not pictured).

I started by making a simple syrup. If you are going to be an entertainer of any kind, you must know how to make a simple syrup! Its the foundation for many drinks and is so, well…simple! Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring the whole time until the sugar dissolves completely. For this recipe, I added a handful of thyme once the sugar dissolved. I turned the burner off and let the mixture steep as it cooled.

While the mixture cooled, I hand squeezed 5 lemons. Yes, hand squeezed. We have yet to purchase a lemon squeezer (and its the second time this summer I have regretted not having one).

I then added the simple syrup to my lemon juice.

In a glass I put: a few ice cubes, simple syrup – lemon mixture (1/3 of the way), club soda (the rest of the way) and garnished with lemon slices and thyme. Delicious. A perfect party drink for this extra hot summer.

Images by Meg White.