Green Tea Gin Cooler

The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

Green Tea Gin Cooler is a long, crisp cocktail that uses cooled green tea as its base, so the botanicals in the gin meet a smooth, slightly grassy backbone rather than just tonic. Lemon and a little honey syrup sharpen it up, and soda keeps it light enough to drink in the sun.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Green Tea Gin Cooler recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/cocktails/green-tea-gin-cooler/

Serves one. Brew the green at 80C and chill it well first, the same care you would give a plain cup, because a bitter brew shows through even in a cocktail. To make it alcohol-free, drop the gin and lengthen it with more soda and a few slices of cucumber.

⏱ 6 min plus cooling 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Tea Cocktails (Adults Only)

You'll need

1 tea bag of Tetley Pure Green Tea
100ml just-off-boil water cooled to about 80C (boil, then rest the kettle for roughly 90 seconds)
50ml gin
15ml fresh lemon juice
15ml honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water, stirred until smooth)
Chilled soda water to top
Ice, plus a lemon twist and mint to serve

Method

Let the boiled water cool to roughly 80C (check with a thermometer), then steep one bag in 100ml of it for 3 minutes. Lift the bag out without squeezing and chill the tea well.
Fill a shaker with ice and add the cooled green tea, gin, lemon juice and honey syrup.
Shake hard for about 10 seconds, then strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with soda water and garnish with a lemon twist and a sprig of mint. For an alcohol-free version, leave out the gin and add more soda and a few cucumber slices.
Pinch the lemon twist over the glass before dropping it in so its oils spray across the top and lift the aroma.

What you'll end up with: A long, crisp green tea cocktail, botanical and citrus-led with a smooth green tea backbone that keeps it refreshing rather than sweet.

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