Vodka Thyme Lemonade

1. Use a vegetable peeler and peel large sections of the lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white pith. Repeat until you have 8 large lemon peelings.

2. To make the lemon-thyme syrup, in a sauce pot, add the sugar, water and the lemon peels. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add the thyme sprigs. Set aside to cool to room temperature. When cool, strain and discard the lemon peel and thyme sprigs.

3. Cut each of the lemons in half (the same lemons that we peeled) and squeeze to reserve the lemon juice, discarding the seeds. Pour the lemon juice and the lemon-thyme syrup into a large pitcher.

4. To make the cocktail, fill each glass with ice and add 1 ounce of vodka to each glass. Fill with the vodka lemonade and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a lemon wedge.