This week, while we were out at the farm checking on the construction of our gorgeous new home, my daddy walked my toddler back into the woods where I used to play as a child. “My Hideout” I called it… the milk crates I’d used for a picnic table and chairs were still there, over 20 years later. it smelled like moss and wet trees and earth and it transported me back to being 7 and having adventures all around that land.
My son was equally enchanted… I’m imagining so many more play times back in that little clearing in the woods now that the farm will be his to roam and explore.
Another thing I would do as a child in the woods was search for honeysuckle vines and taste the tiny, sweet drop of nectar in the center of the plant. It’s this one or two perfect, sweet, floral drops of syrup and I would tromp around gathering all the flowers I could so I could drink more than just a teeny taste.
When I realized I still had 3 cups of mulberries leftover after the cobbler, and the scones, I used them to make some gorgeous, deep purple, tarty-sweet mulberry syrup… and then I wondered, “Ok, now what?”
And what goes better with foraged mulberries than the fleeting, childhood-treasured flavor of honeysuckle? Nothing, I tell you. And then add lemonade and some lemon thyme, and fahgetaboutit. It tastes like a little kid singing a childhood song or catching a firefly in a jar on a summer evening… but with a little of Mississippi’s own Cathead vodka, it’s all grown up.
So, I introduce you to, the Mulberry & Honeysuckle Sister to the Country Thyme Cocktail…
The Backcountry Thyme cocktail
My dad is pretty much an exclusive scotch drinker, and my fella likes beer, so for both of them to taste my cocktail and say, “Hey, that’s sweet, but it’s REALLY good” was a feat. Even if you’re not into typically sweet drinks, if you’ve got access to mulberries and thyme, it’s worth a sip… especially to set the mood when it gets hot hot hot outside and you’re watching your kiddos catch fireflies out in the yard. OR use the syrup on pancakes, over the scones or in just plain lemonade.
- FOR THE MULBERRY SYRUP (You can double the water and sugar but you'll have a less strong syrup.)
- 3 Cups Mulberries
- ¼ Cup water
- ¼ Cup sugar
- Juice from one lemon
- FOR THE COCKTAIL
- 2 Tablespoons Mulberry Syrup
- 1 Cup lemonade (preferably homemade)
- 1.5 to 2 Ounces CatHead Honeysuckle Vodka
- 4 Sprigs Lemon Thyme (also basil works but it changes the flavor and is much bolder.)
- ½ Cup Ice
- TO GARNISH
- 1 sprig Lemon thyme
- 2-5 whole mulberries
- FOR THE SYRUP
- Combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepot and bring to a boil.
- Once it boils, reduce the heat until the berries are falling apart and the sauce has thickened (10-15 minutes).
- Strain the berries out, and then return the liquid to the pot.
- Cook on medium heat until the sauce has reduced by at least ⅓. (15 minutes)
- FOR THE COCKTAIL
- Muddle the Thyme in a cocktail shaker.
- In the Cocktail Shaker, combine Ice, syrup, lemonade, and vodka. Shake until frosty.
- Pour into a Lowball glass and serve with a sprig of thyme and berries.
- You may also serve over ice if you prefer.
- NOTE: If you're making your lemonade from scratch, consider infusing the syrup with Lemon Thyme rather than muddling it. (To do this, as the heated water/sugar is cooling, place 5 or so muddled thyme sprigs into the pot with the syrup. Strain when cool. Then you'll have a delicious thyme lemonade.
