Summerthyme Screwdriver Cocktail Recipe

red-orange summerthyme screwdriver in a pitcher alongside two full Collins glasses, each garnished with a thyme sprig and orange wheel — Image:
Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The simple Screwdriver is an essential tool in the cocktail kit. Composed of vodka and orange juice, it’s tall, fortifying and almost impossible to screw up. Plus, it provides a wallop when a Mimosa just won’t do. But add a few bells and whistles, like fresh herbs and a bittersweet Italian liqueur, and you have the makings of a summer blockbuster.

The Summerthyme Screwdriver is more than a solid pun. It’s a refreshing cocktail that improves the classic Screwdriver with thyme sprigs, Aperol, lemon juice and club soda. The thyme adds an undercurrent of earthy florals, while low-alcohol Aperol infuses the drink with notes of rhubarb and bitter orange. Hand-squeezed lemon juice brightens the whole affair, and club soda provides hydrating effervescence.

Don’t expect to order this at your local brunch spot. Instead, you’ll want to make it at home, a simple feat that requires a pitcher and easy-to-source ingredients. Build it right in the pitcher, and you’ll have a batch on hand to pour for friends as you shake off the prior night’s cobwebs. Serve this with breakfast, brunch or by the pool—and consider your day saved.

0:34

Click Play to See This Summerthyme Screwdriver Come Together

5 orange wheels, thickly sliced
2 lemons
11 ounces vodka
5 1/2 ounces Aperol
17 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed
Club soda, to top
Garnish: thyme sprig
Garnish: orange wheel

Serves 6-7.

Lightly muddle the orange wheels at the bottom of a pitcher.
Squeeze the lemons into the pitcher, and discard the shells.
Add the vodka, Aperol and orange juice, and fill with large ice cubes.
Top with the club soda and gently stir to combine.
Garnish the pitcher with thyme sprigs and orange wheels.
Serve in a Collins glass, and garnish each glass with thyme sprig and orange wheel.