There are few things Brits love more than a cup of tea. Except, of course, if that thing is alcohol. Combine the two and you have a match made in heaven - at least that's the logic followed by Davide Segat, Bar Manager of Punch Room at the London Edition hotel. As a prominent cocktail connoisseur, he's always concocting innovative drinks using unique ingredients, and tea has become a particularly preferred addition to the famous punch recipes he specialises in, thanks to its versatility and ability to work with nearly all spirits. "Different teas can bring out different qualities in a cocktail," he explains. "For instance a jasmine tea can add an amazing floral taste profile, while a Lapsang provides a smoky effect. Black tea can add body while a hibiscus - not strictly a tea but still worth a mention - can add acidity."
Here, Davide talks us through three of his favourite tea-infused cocktail recipes, perfect for any occasion.
Enotria Punch
The Romans infused their wine with herbs and spices for centuries to improve the taste, so I’ve incorporated the technique in this punch. Banks 7 Golden Blend rum lends body, richness and spice to the wine base underneath a spritz of Scotch, which mimics the smoky flavour of ancient wine stored in amphora near an open fire.
Ingredients
1 litre of Sancerre
500ml of Banks 7 Golden Blend
500ml Lavender and Thyme cordial
250ml Lemon Juice
250ml Chilled water
Method
Preparation: Combine everything and chill before serving.
To serve: Add to a punch bowl filled with one large block of ice, redcurrants
and lemon wheels.
Glassware: Punch cups filled with ice.
Garnish: Grated nutmeg, red currants, and a spritz of Peaty Scotch.
Prometheus Punch
This tea-infused punch is inspired by 'the trick at Mekone’, a story from Greek mythology centred around a sacrificial meal marking the "settling of accounts" between mortals and immortals.
Ingredients
45ml pu-erh tea
10 ml fennel pollen syrup
35ml butter washed mastiha liquor
15ml Pierde Almas mezcal
5ml Amaro Montenegro
15ml Lime Juice
Method
Preparation: Combine ingredients in shake and throw
Glass: Clay pot cup
Garnish: Fennel flower/sprig/wild fennel
Green Tea Punch
Classic punches are comprised of five ingredients: spirit, sugar, citrus, spice, and a more substantial portion of a liquid such as tea or wine. The grassy Sencha tea reinforces the herbal notes in the rum, while the aromatic mint and nutmeg brighten the earthy mixture.
Ingredients
1 bottle of Banks 5 Island Blend
375ml Sencha tea
375ml mint tea
200ml lime Juice
200g demerara Sugar
Method
Preparation:Brew the tea, then stir in
the sugar until it dissolves.Add 4 cups of ice to chill and dilute the
mixture, then add lime juice and rum.
Chill before serving.
To serve:
Add to a punch bowl filled with one large block of ice.
Glassware:
Punch cups filled with ice.
Garnish:Grated nutmeg.
