Like Tea? Like Gin? How About A Gin Tea Party For Ginuary?
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Before we close out Ginuary as well as National Hot Tea Month, we present the relatively new custom of “gin tea,” a U.K. trend of combining tea and gin in cocktails. The story unfurls below, along with: > A food and drinks menu for a Gin Tea cocktail party. > How to infuse gin into tea yourself. Elsewhere on The Nibble: > The different types (expressions) of gin. > The different types of tea: a photo glossary. > The history of tea. Gin tea is a modern take on afternoon tea, the wonderful British tradition introduced by Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, as a way to stave off hunger between lunch and dinner. The elaborate snack, as it were, is a pot of tea with small bites: tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. Here’s the history of afternoon tea and the tea party. Gin Tea, or “G&Tea,” has emerged as a cocktail trend that’s essentially afternoon tea reimagined for cocktail hour. The tea is replaced with gin-based drinks that combine brewed tea with gin in various ways—from chilled drinks to warm toddy-like cocktails combining gin with tea sweetened with honey. In London, you’ll find Gin Tea offered at hotels, restaurants, and on special excursions on vintage London buses. While the concept may seem new to many of us, Tanqueray introduced its Tea & Tonic recipe (photo #5) in 2011! If you’d like to host or a gin tea, the setup would be similar to afternoon tea: an elegant presentation of cocktails, accompanied by traditional tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. But the beverages would be gin-and-tea cocktails rather than plain tea—except, of course, a conventional pot of tea for those abstaining from alcohol. Use your best glassware—or for a playful twist, serve the gin tea drinks in teacups. If you’ve inherited a set of delicate porcelain tea cups, so much the better. See photo #8 for an almost-as-much-fun paper cup alternative. Tell friends who want to bring things that they can make tea sandwiches or bring the scones and sweets. Cue up the classical music—string quartets especially—for an afternoon tea atmosphere and aesthetic, but with cocktails as the star. State Line Distillery, a craft distillery in Madison, Wisconsin, debuts Lapsang Smoked Gin (photo #6), a bold, full-bodied new release that pushes gin into new territory—and makes “gin tea” recipes simple. The distiller’s American Gin is infused with a blend of Lapsang Souchong and Golden Yunnan teas. Where London Dry gin has sometimes been seen as outdated by younger generations, today’s craft distillers are demonstrating the spirit’s adaptability across flavor profiles, from floral and citrus-forward to smoky and complex. American Dry gin is a category that represents these changes. The smokiness of the Lapsang Souchong is balanced by the tannins in the Golden Yunnan tannins and the savory sage notes in State Line Distillery’s American gin. We’d also like to recommend Empress Cucumber Lemon Gin (photo #2). It’s not tea-infused, but you can do that yourself (instructions below to make an exciting gin tea cocktail. For a vivid purple or blue shade, Empress 1908 Indigo Gin is stunning. The natural color from the butterfly pea flower adds just color, no extra flavor (photos #1 and #9). You add the extra flavor by infusing the tea of your choice. Some baristas infuse their own gin, but you can purchase tea-infused gin directly. See some brands below. Warm Drinks Earl Grey is the most popular choice for infusing, since citrus-forward teas complement gin’s botanicals beautifully. But any tea works (recall the Lapsang Souchong-infused gin mentioned above)! Store infused gin in the refrigerator and use it within a few weeks for the best flavor. There are a few methods for infusing tea into gin, ranging from quick to more refined: Tea-Infused Gin We’ve provided this list to show how you can infuse your own tea into fruit-infused gins for a really complex layering of flavors. We had on hand both Tanqueray Sevilla Orange Gin and Lapsang Souchong tea. We did a cold brew infusion and enjoyed it two ways: |
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 [10] Ready for a Gin Tea party with a Tanqueray Tea Tonic‡ (Abacus Photo). ________________ †Drumshambo Gunpowder Tea Negroni recipe per drink: 30ml/1 oz Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, 30ml/1 oz Campari, 30ml/1 oz sweet vermouth, orange slice or twist for garnish. Preparation: Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Stir well to chill and dilute. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish and serve. ‡The Tanqueray Tea Tonic recipe for a pitcher: 1 liter Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, 1/4 cup Earl Grey tea leaves (or 4-5 tea bags), premium tonic water (e.g., Fever-Tree), lemon slice or twist for garnish. Preparation: Infuse the gin. Pour the gin into a glass container/bottle and add the Earl Grey tea leaves or bags. Let it steep at room temperature for 2 hours (or until you reach desired strength). Strain the gin to remove all tea leaves. Make the cocktails: Per glass, fill with ice. Add 1.5-2 ounces of infused gin. Top with 4-5 ounces of tonic water. Garnish and serve. You can use London Dry Gin instead. The difference: Tanqueray No. Ten is an ultra-premium, citrus-forward gin. It’s distilled with fresh, whole citrus fruits (lime, orange, grapefruit) and chamomile flowers, rather than the dried peels used in London Dry. The flavor profile is brighter, more floral, and more complex than the juniper-dominant classic London Dry. And the name? It’s produced in a small-batch still named “Tiny Ten.” CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM. |
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