Trembling with caffeine jitters from the earl grey you downed this morning? Feeling a bit tense? Need a social ice-breaker? We rummaged through The Tea Book: All Things Tea to excavate what you really want (hint: the booze), so you don’t have to. Nevermind that the book is chock full of tea-infused dishes, histories of various teas, their associated properties, and guides for recreating traditional tea rituals, we found the booze, y’all. If you’re crazy for tea, you’ll love this book (however severely lacking in “teabag” jokes)! If you’re crazy about tea and booze combined, follow me down alcohol candy mountain, weee!
SPICED WINTER MULLED WINE (top photo)
Makes 4 Cups (1 Liter)
5 spiced winter tea temples (or winter-spiced rooibos whole leaf mesh bags)
3 cups (750ml) wine
1 cup (250ml) water
4 tablespoons sugar
½ orange, sliced
ginger cookies, to serve (optional)
Snip the strings off the tea temples (or mesh bags, if using) and simply throw all the ingredients into one big pan. Bring to just below boiling, stirring occasionally.
- Then, turn the head right down and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm, not too hot, as a delicious warming drink on a cold day!
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OLD WILLIAMSBURG MANDARIN TEA
Make 4 Cups (1 Liter)
juice and rind of 2 mandarins
1 cup (225ml) any strong tea, cooled
juice of 1 extra mandarin juice and thinly pared rind of 1 lemon
⅔ cup (125g) packaged raw brown or granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups (300ml) top quality rum
- You’ll need to source a couple of large bottles or Mason jars to fit 4 cups (1 liter) of liquid in.
- Start by scraping the pith off the back of the mandarin rind, put all the ingredients in the bottle or jar, and seal. Shake well until the sugar dissolves. Leave overnight and strain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a second bottle and drink when the spirit moves you.
- Once made, this drink keeps for six months or more.
Variation: The original Williamsburg version used the thinly pared rind and juice of 2 lemons instead of mandarins; if you would like to try this version, then you may want to add a little more sugar to taste.
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MATCHARITA
Serves 1
3 ½ tablespoons Calle 23 tequila blanco
2 teaspoons orange curacao
4 teaspoons unsalted yuzu juice
2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur
¼ teaspoon brewed Matcha tea
ice cubes
black salt and lemon slices, to garnish
- Shake all the ingredients with ice and serve straight up in a glass (or even a teacup) with lemon slices sprinkled with black salt.
Images via The Tea Book
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