Sip, Sip, Hooray: Celebrate With Our Tea Cocktail Recipes

The weekend is upon us and what better way to celebrate, than by mixing the best tea cocktails that we’ve ever tasted?

Matcha-Gin Cocktail

Makes: 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

30 g mint leaves
21 g of agave or honey
21 ml of lime juice
355 ml of water
71 ml of gin
1 teaspoon of matcha
Ice

Method:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint with the agave or honey and lime juice. Add the remaining ingredients and shake until well chilled and the matcha is dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, dividing between 2 ice-filled glasses, then serve. A gorgeously green cocktail!

Matcharita

Makes: 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

100 ml of blanco tequila
4 tsp or orange curacao
4 tsp of unsalted yuzu juice
4 tsp of maraschino liqueur
½ tsp of brewed matcha tea
Salt and lemon slices

Method:

Shake all the ingredients with ice and serve straight in a teacup or traditional margarita glass. Don’t forget to run a lemon slice around the outside of the rim of your glass before rolling the rim in salt and then pop the lemon on the side as garnish.

Earl Grey Martini

Makes: 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

for the earl grey syrup:

8 tbsp water
4 tbsp earl grey
4 tbsp caster sugar

for the lemon salt rim:

Finely grated zest of 4 lemons
100 g sea salt

for the martini:

4 tbsp gin
2 tbsp lemon juice
Ice cubes

for the garnish:

A long piece of lemon peel tied in a knot

Method:

First, make the earl grey syrup by heating the water in a small pan, stir in the tea leaves and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 mins, then strain and chill.
Chill the martini class in the fridge/freezer.
Blend the lemon zest and salt until very fine and transfer to a shallow dish or saucer.
Dip the chilled glass into the lemon salt, then pour the gin, earl grey syrup and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, then strain into the glass and garnish with the lemon knot.

Camomile and Honeyed Gin

Makes: 2 cocktails

For the Chamomile-Honey Syrup

2 tsp camomile tea
¹⁄₂ cup honey

For the Cocktail

2 oz. gin
1 oz. camomile-honey syrup
1 oz. fresh lemon juice

Method:

Make the camomile-honey syrup: Place tea in ½ cup boiling water for 5 minutes; strain tea leaves. Add honey and stir to dissolve. Let syrup cool to room temperature. Makes about ½ cup; extra syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
Make the cocktail: Combine gin, syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into a coupe or martini glass.

Black Tea and Burnt Honey Old Fashioned

Makes: 2 cocktails

Ingredients:

2 tsp of English breakfast tea
2 tsp of caster sugar
170 g of honey
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 star anise
75 ml of bourbon
3 or 4 dashes of angostura bitters
A few pieces of orange peel
Large ice cubes

Method:

Blend the black tea and sugar until you get a semi-fine powder or use pestle and mortar.
Place the honey, vanilla, and star anise in a small pot over medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reduce for 10 minutes or so until you get a deep amber colour and it starts to get big thick bubbles. Remove from the heat and cool down (note: if it’s too thick, add a splash of water and whisk to dilute). Consistency should be syrupy and colour should be that of maple syrup.
In a cocktail beaker, add 2 teaspoons of the tea and sugar powder mix, 2 tablespoons of the burnt honey syrup (you can reduce this a bit if you don’t like it as sweet), the bourbon, angostura bitters, and orange peel. Stir until syrup and sugar dissolve completely. Once dissolved, add 2 large cubes of ice and stir for 20 seconds to cool down the mix.
Pour into two old fashioned cocktail glasses with a big ice cube each. You can garnish with the other pieces of orange peel.

Green Tea and Irish Whiskey Punch

Makes: A punch bowl full!

Ingredients:

8 L of brewed green tea (1.8 L of water and 6 teaspoons of green tea)
125 ml of fresh lemon juice
250 ml of ginger ale
170 g of honey, more if you like it sweeter!
375 ml of Irish Whiskey
Mint leaves for garnish
Ice if serving cold

Method:

Brew the green tea, discarding of the loose leaves. Add to a heat proof bowl and add in all of the other ingredients. Stir well so all the ingredients are mixed well and the honey melts. If serving cold, add ice. Alter to your liking, add more whiskey, honey or lemon!

We hope you enjoy mixing it up and trying something new in place of your usual go-to cocktail!