Lemon Thyme Cough Syrup

When cold and flu season comes around it’s a good idea to have a bit of cough syrup on hand. My quick go-to cough syrup is called Heavy’s Cough Syrup because it was what my grandpa (aka Heavy) had on hand when I was growing up. This is a simple recipe of 1 part honey, 1 part lemon juice, and 1 part whisky and you can whip it up in a jiffy.

I attended a class on the lovely herb Thyme by Green Wisdom Herbal Studies a while ago and learned so very much that I thought this recipe could use a little herbal boost so here is my plant-enhanced version of Heavy’s Cough Syrup. It takes a bit longer to make but it is very worth the trouble.

1. Roughly chop 1 large lemon (peel and all) and place in a quart jar
2. Add 2 ounces of dried thyme
3. Fill the jar with raw honey
4. Let this steep in a cool dark place for 4 to 6 weeks turning (upside down) daily
5. Make a 1:2 ratio peppermint tincture with alcohol of your choice but make sure it is not less than 80% (Heavy like corn whiskey)
6. Steep in a cool dark place for 4 to 6 weeks shaking daily
7. Decant the honey and tincture separately (both are lovely on their own so I keep some of each)
8. Then mix them with a 2 parts honey to 1 part tincture measure to make the final cough syrup