This blueberry gin cocktail is beautiful drink made with gin, a homemade blueberry thyme simple syrup, and a little club soda. It’s light, fruity, and bubbly.

Close up view of a gin cocktail with fresh blueberries.

This blueberry cocktail is one of my favorite cocktail recipes to make whenever we happen to have a bottle of gin in the liquor cabinet. I use a variation of my original blueberry simple syrup recipe, good gin, and some club soda to top it off.

You get this vibrant, clean tasting cocktail that’s perfect for sipping. The longest part is making the blueberry thyme simple syrup. I recommend making it in advance and storing it in the fridge. That will save you so much time, and all you’ll need to do is assemble the drink.

If you have gin leftover and want to try another cocktail, don’t miss my Pink Lady.

My Tips for a Flavorful Gin Cocktail

Chill the ingredients. This may sound obvious, but I’m guilty of leaving the gin at room temp. This cocktail tastes better and stays cold longer if you chill the gin, simple syrup, and club soda for several hours before making the drink.
Choose good blueberries. I love the flavor that fresh blueberries add to this drink. If you can find fresh, ripe blueberries, use those. You’ll be able to taste them ahead of time for flavor and sweetness. If you can’t find fresh berries, frozen blueberries also work.
Add some brightness. Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice tastes amazing in this drink. It’s cuts through the other flavors and adds some brightness.
Omit the thyme. In my years of cooking for others, I’ve been told many, many times that people don’t like the taste of thyme. I think it adds a wonderful, subtle flavor to this cocktail. If you don’t like thyme, just leave it out or try fresh rosemary instead.

Common Questions

Isn’t this just a flavored gin and tonic?

Not, really. My recipe only has one common ingredient with a gin and tonic and that’s the gin. A classic gin and tonic is basically: gin + tonic water. Sometimes folks will add a lime wheel or lime twist. It’s definitely different than my blueberry gin cocktail.

What’s the difference between club soda and tonic water?

Club soda is unflavored carbonated water, so it’s bubbly. Some brands use a tiny bit of salt or add minerals. I think it mixes well with this drink because it’s neutral.

Tonic water is also fizzy and bubbly, but it has some bitter undertones and a lot of sugar or sweetener. I so rarely use it in cocktails because the flavors don’t always pair well, and adding extra sugar throws off the balance.

This drink is too sweet for me. How can I adjust it?

I love sweet drinks, and I made this one a little on the sweeter side. If you prefer a less sweet cocktail, try one of these two things:

Reduce the amount of simple syrup you’re adding to the drink. I use two ounces so the flavor comes through against the other 6 ounces of liquid. You can always use less. Do keep in mind that using less syrup will also reduce the blueberry flavor.
Another option is to use less granulated sugar when you make the blueberry simple syrup. Cut the sugar back by 25%, 50%, or even 75% depending on how sweet you like your drinks.

What’s the best way to store the simple syrup?

John and I keep some type of simple syrup in the fridge all the time. Whether it’s blueberry, cherry, raspberry, or something else.

Here’s what we do: pour the syrup into a jar and let it cool. Close the jar and pop it into the fridge. It will stay good for about 2 weeks. Just make sure it doesn’t start to smell funky, get moldy, or cloudy. If it does, go ahead and toss it.

I love to make the simple syrup about a day ahead of time. That way it has time to chill.