As the fierce heat of summer mellows into September’s golden sunshine and gentle warmth, stickily sweet purple figs (confusingly known as black figs) come into season in the UK. Here at Craft Gin Club, we’re making the most of the glorious plump, ripe figs that have just started appearing on trees and shop shelves in this delicious, slightly sweet twist on a gin and tonic, and it’s fabulous!

The rich, fruity sweetness of the figs and honey are balanced with a little lemon juice (and a splash of cider, if you wish) for a refreshing, mouthwatering tipple.

You’ll need to whip up a simple syrup infused with figs and thyme, but honestly, that takes mere moments and is incredibly easy (and cheap) to do (plus you can use any of this fruity, lightly perfumed syrup as a decadent addition to cocktails, on puddings or as a marinade for your meats and salads.)

When choosing your figs, just give them a squeeze to see if they’re fully ripe - they should be a little soft (but not squishy). Figs don't ripen after they’ve been picked, so avoid any that are hard or greenish and go for deep purple, squeezable fruits (they might also have a little peach-style fuzz on the skin too, that’s fine). Because they don’t continue to ripen, you need to use them within a day or two of buying them.

If you prefer a martini-style cocktail over a G&T, you can follow all the first steps of the recipe below and simply leave out the tonic (or soda) water for a lip-smackingly sweet, refreshing cocktail!

Fig, Thyme & Honey Gin Cocktail

100g caster sugar
100ml water
4-5 fresh figs
A few sprigs of thyme

35ml gin
35ml fig syrup
1 tsp honey
Juice of half a lemon
Splash of cider (optional)
Tonic or soda water, to top up

In a saucepan, combine your sugar, honey, water and figs. Heat gently for 5-10 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the figs begin to soften and break down. Remove from the heat and add the thyme. Allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean jar. You can keep any of the unused fig syrup for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

To make your cocktail, fill your tumbler with ice and add your gin, 35ml of the fig syrup, lemon juice and a little dash of cider. Top up with a neutral tonic or soda water. (Feel free to adjust these quantities to your own taste.) Stir well, then garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or a cinnamon stick and enjoy!