Camomile and Bergamot Tonic
A floral, alcohol free long drink: cooled camomile, a little bergamot syrup and chilled tonic over ice, with thyme and lemon.
A floral long drink for when you want something grown up without the alcohol. A strong, cooled shot of Loyd Pure Camomile sits underneath, a little homemade bergamot syrup carries a perfumed citrus note that lemon alone would flatten, and a good Indian tonic brings the quinine bitterness and the fizz on top. It is built long over plenty of ice in a highball, with thyme and a twist of lemon.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Camomile and Bergamot Tonic recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/camomile tea/camomile and bergamot tonic/
Think of it as a camomile aperitif: floral and lightly bitter, the sort of thing to pour at the same hour you might reach for a Campari soda, but softer with it. The bergamot syrup takes five minutes and keeps for a fortnight, so it is worth making a small jar to have on hand.
You'll need
- 4 Loyd Pure Camomile pyramid bags
- 200ml just boiled water (for the camomile concentrate)
- 1 tsp bergamot syrup (recipe below) or a fine substitute of lemon syrup with a pinch of Earl Grey leaf
- 150ml premium Indian tonic water, well chilled
- A long strip of unwaxed lemon peel
- A small sprig of fresh thyme
- Plenty of cubed ice for the highball glass
- For the bergamot syrup: zest of 1 bergamot (or substitute zest of 1 lemon plus 1/4 tsp loose Earl Grey leaf), 50g caster sugar, 50ml water
Method
- Drop the four camomile bags into a small jug and pour over the 200ml just boiled water. Steep for ten full minutes, lift the bags out, then slide the jug into the freezer for ten minutes to cool it down quickly.
- While it cools, make the bergamot syrup. Put the bergamot zest, sugar and water in a small pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for five minutes, stirring once or twice, until the syrup is clear and smells strongly of the zest. Strain into a small jar; it keeps in the fridge for a fortnight.
- Fill a chilled highball right to the top with ice cubes. Use proper cubes rather than crushed, which would water the drink down within a minute.
- Pour 100ml of the cooled camomile concentrate over the ice, add a teaspoon of the bergamot syrup, and give it one gentle stir to combine.
- Top with the chilled tonic, pouring down the back of a bar spoon to keep as much fizz as you can.
- Pinch the strip of lemon peel skin side down over the glass to release its oils, drop it in, and tuck a sprig of thyme alongside.
- Serve straight away. It holds its shape for about ten minutes before the ice starts to soften the tonic's edge.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Loyd Pure Camomile, 40 Tea Bags 56g
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