Page 33 - Thirst Magazine Issue No. 3 Coffee & Tea

ea and Coffee have been the
foundation of centuries of
civilisation, playing central roles
in social and ceremonial aspects of
Thuman civilisation, helping to create
a hospitality culture when there was none,
and are now more often seen in the cocktail
world. Is it just a trend or here to stay?

ON TEA:

Opium, War & Thievery

Ancient history tells the story of Shen Nung
discovering tea after poisoning himself 72 times
during his experimentation with wild plants.
Whilst this story could be a myth, it dates the
earliest use of tea somewhere around 2732 BC.
Over centuries the brew has been coveted and modern alcohol production methods allow for
so valued by the British Empire and China that carefully selected flavour profiles that would
it lead to the first Opium War. The war resulted be lost if diluted so heavily.
in the port of Hong Kong being ceded to Britain There has been resurgence of the tea leaf as
through the Treaty of Nanjing. a modern day ingredient not only in Asia, but
One of the most far-reaching consequences across the globe. This ancient botanical beverage
of the Treaty was the introduction of tea to is quickly finding a place in every bar; from
India by the Scottish botanist, Robert Fortune. loose leaf blends to concentrated syrups, the
Fortune was commissioned to smuggle tea and uses for tea in a cocktail are ever expanding.
experienced tea workers to India. These series of If there is a tea revolution taking place, it’s
events are, in essence, what has given us such a important to ask the question why and how
broad variety of teas to use in our cocktails. *Capillaire syrup this beautiful leaf is being used.
The earliest English language reference of is what we now use My latest experience with tea in cocktails
tea making its debut in cocktails is in the first as Simple Syrup - was at Teens Of Thailand, where according to
It’s made from the
book ever dedicated to mixed drinks called, Maidenhair Fern Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, co-owner of Teens
“Oxford Night Caps Being A Collection Of and is said to have on using tea in cocktails:
Recipes For Making Various Beverages” 1827. restorative benefits “When constructing tea in drinks, I prefer
In it, tea is described as the “backbone of (that we now know it in drinks that have botanical/grassy notes
British resolve”, therefore it is of little surprise it doesn’t). and a base flavour that is still fresh. Gin and
that a Tea Punch recipe makes its appearance tea have been a perfect combination for years.
within the first 12 pages. To make your own You can put tea in your whisky intense drinks
please follow the
recipe below taken or sweet vermouths as well, but don’t get me
A blend of... from “The Drunken wrong, it kind of polishes the whole flavour
Lemon and Seville orange Oleo Saccrum Botanist” profile and doesn’t stand out.”
The juice of 10 lemons and four I agree that lighter and greener base
Seville oranges. Several Stems of spirits allow the tea to stand out much more;
Two quarts of Green Tea (Boiling Hot) fresh Maidenhair however, there are now so many styles and
Fern, 2 cups of water,
30ml of Orange variations of tea that you can find something
Sweeten with a bottle of Capillaire* Flower Water and for any spirit category. I always try and pick
Half a pint of White Wine, 1.5 cups of Sugar up something new when I travel, especially
A pint of french brandy, something that could be paired well with
A pint of jamaican rum, how to make Monkey Shoulder. My latest trip back to my
A bottle of orange shrub home town in Norfolk, England (where we
1 drink LOTS of tea) saw me walking away with
The extensive consumption of tea is most Boil the Maidenhair two very distinct styles. The first, Caramel
likely attributed to the popularity of Tea with the water Cream, is a deliciously sweet and dry Black
Houses and Cafés, which were a precursor 2 Tea with flavours of Butterscotch and Vanilla,
to Public Houses (Pubs) and cocktail bars. Strain is perfect for pairing with whisky. The second,
As the cocktail culture is undergoing a and the one I am using in my cocktail below,
renaissance, much more thought is going 3 is called Russian Caravan. It is a huge smoke
into the ingredients and why they are used. Add OFW & Sugar bomb with flavours of gunpowder and sulphur,
For instance, the punch which gave rise to 4 and a fantastic replacement for smoky whisky.
tea as an ingredient, has been dramatically When turned into a syrup, you can control the
altered from its original form. This is because Cool & Bottle smoke/sweet element in the cocktail.

33

FEATURE_CoffeeTeaCocktail.indd 33 18/9/2017 11:44:39 PM