Charleston, S.C. happens to be one of my favorite summer destinations. And although I’ve never stayed at the Belmond Charleston Place, I have had the good fortune of enjoying a rather posh night out at the Charleston Grill followed by drinks at the Thoroughbred Club. So I was quite pleased when we received two recipes straight from their bar, both based around one of the best pleasures of summer: lemonade.

Here’s how to make them yourself.

Peach Thyme Lemonade
1 1/2 oz thyme-infused simple syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz of whiskey
1 oz of peach puree

Mix ingredients together. Pour over ice and top with Club soda. Garnish with a slice of fresh peach
(Note: While they use Bernheim at their bar, I opted to use a Very Old Barton instead. Worked out just fine. Also, for the thyme simple syrup: “The method we use is to steep the thyme in nearly-boiling water as you would a loose leaf tea for about four or five minutes, straining the herbs out and then using the hot water to make the simple syrup.”)

Cucumber Basil Lemonade
6 basil leaves
6 cucumber slices, muddled lightly
2 oz lemongrass-infused simple syrup
1 oz Effen Cucumber Vodka
1 1/2 oz of fresh lemon juice

Mix ingredients together. The lemongrass simple syrup is made the same way as the thyme simple syrup above. Strain over ice. Garnish with cucumber slice and basil leaf.

About Post Author