Refreshing Batch Watermelon Thyme Gin Slushes

Summertime barbeques and parties call for chilled drinks & watermelon. Make your life a little easier by preparing a signature, batch cocktail that covers both bases and that will keep you from playing bartender all day. These Watermelon Thyme Gin Slushes are crazy simple to make ahead of time and so refreshing. It’s the taste of summer in a glass!

I’m a huge fan of homemade syrups– they’re as simple to make as a pot of tea and an easy way to inject flavor into a cocktail. A friend recently gifted me Hayley McKee’s ‘Sticky Fingers, Green Thumb‘ cookbook for my birthday and I’m inspired to push some experiments with my herb garden. Thyme is a bittersweet herb that makes it a perfect compliment to an earthier spirit like gin and a sweet fruit like watermelon.

Thyme Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
~1/4 cup of thyme sprigs

Heat water and sugar over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and steep the thyme sprigs for 15 minutes. Remove the sprigs and refrigerate.

Watermelon Thyme Gin Slushes
1 medium watermelon
1/2 cup gin
1/4 thyme simple syrup

Cut the watermelon into chunks and freeze overnight. Freezing the watermelon helps draw out excess water and slightly changes the watermelon’s texture. You can definitely skip this step but you might have to freeze the finished slushes longer and won’t have as strong a watermelon taste.

Blend the watermelon, gin, and syrup until completely smooth. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours and serve.