The Boston Tea Party Cocktail

I’m really into tea-infused simple syrups these days. Earl Grey tea is my go-to caffeine source to start my day and ready me for human interaction. I figured, if Earl Grey helps prepare me for socialization in the morning, combining it with alcohol could only serve to compound its effects as a miracle-working social lubricant.

I first encountered Earl Grey simple syrup in a divine cocktail concoction at Chuck Hughes’ lauded Montreal restaurant, Le Bremner, a few years ago and fell in love at first sip.

For this tipple, I used Sloane Fine Tea Merchants’ Earl Grey Classic. I absolutely adore both the packaging and the flavour of Sloane teas. You can buy them locally at Pot & Pantry.

The Earl Grey simple syrup only takes a few minutes to whip up and it gives this cocktail some delicious complexity. The Italian bergamot oil that flavours Sloane’s Earl Grey tea is what gives this black tea its distinctive linger – a touch of floral, a hint of bitterness and a nice balance of sweet and sour.

QUICK HIT OF BERGAMOT TRIVIA: Bergamot is a kind of inedible citrus fruit that suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. It’s often called a “bergamot orange” but looks more like a lemon. It was originally grown in South East Asia but has since migrated to Southern Italy where it is commercially grown.

The bergamot tree blossoms in winter and is harvested for the skin of the fruit. The skin is then cold pressed for its oils, flavours and scents – you can often catch a whiff of it in your favourite perfumes.

The beguiling nature of bergamot is a perfect compliment to the punchy grapefruit in this this cocktail. The bourbon plays off the malty richness of the black tea. A couple of dashes of Bittermens Boston Bittahs keeps it real and tones down the sweetness. The egg white makes for some frothy goodness that will leave your drink looking EXACTLY like a hot cuppa milky tea.

The Boston Tea Party Cocktail

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The Boston Tea Party

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

This Boston Tea Party Cocktail uses the distinctive flavour of bergamot found in Earl Grey tea to create a winning combination of bitter, bright and bourbon-y.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bourbon, Earl Grey Tea, Eggs, Grapefruit, Grapefruit Liqueur

Servings: 1

Author: Yvonne Langen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz bourbon
• ½ oz Giffard's Crème de Pamplemousse liqueur
• ½ oz pink grapefruit juice freshly squeezed
• ½ oz Earl Grey simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 2 drops Bittermens Boston bittahs

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 4 tsp Sloane loose leaf Earl Grey tea or 4 Earl Grey teabags
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, strain into a coupe glass. Serve immediately. 

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

1. Add water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add loose leaf tea or teabags and let simmer for 5 minutes until the tea has fully steeped. Remove teabags or strain out tea leaves. 

2. Add sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is fully dissolved. Let cool to room temperature before using. Simple syrup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two weeks.