Iced Earl Grey Tea Cocktail

Since the weather is finally warming up, it's time for another iced tea cocktail! Lately I've been thinking about refreshing cocktails that have cucumber, basil, and gin. I find this combination incredibly delicious and cooling. I decided to also add earl grey tea, as the bergamot gives it a citrusy zing.

Fresh flavor of basil is a whiff of summertime. It's easy to find in the market and also easy to grow in any type of garden or on a windowsill. I grow large amounts of basil every year on our small Brooklyn patio, and it grows quickly and vigorously. For the cucumbers I like using the small persian ones, but any old cuke will do. Just be sure to remove the seeds before using it in the cocktail. I added a bit of fresh lemon juice as well, to increase the citrus quotient.

Tea Happiness' Iced Earl Grey Basil Cooler
Makes 1 cocktail

Earl Grey Simple Syrup (instructions below:1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp Earl Grey tea)

1 oz. Gin
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup cold earl grey tea
About a 2 inch piece of fresh cucumber, seeded and cut into cubes
A few small basil leaves

First, make the simple syrup: bring 1 cup of water to a boil, turn off the heat and add the 3 tbsp of earl grey tea. Allow to steep for 5-10 minutes and strain. Bring brewed tea back to a medium heat and add in the sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Allow mixture to cool, and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Can be stored for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Now, brew a small pot of earl grey tea as you usually would- you can use hot tea that you've cooled in the fridge, or cold brew, your choice.

In a medium-sized glass, muddle the cucumber and basil together until it becomes aromatic. To the glass add 1/4 cup of the brewed earl grey tea, gin, and lemon juice (to taste). Finally add about 1.5 tablespoons of earl grey simple syrup to taste. Start with about a tablespoon, and then add more as needed. Top up the glass with ice. I like to garnish with a slice of cucumber and a sprig of basil.

This cocktail is perfect for lazy summer days. It's refreshing and cooling thanks to the cucumber and basil. I find the lemon to be thirst-quenching as well. It would work nicely as a late afternoon sip, or pre-dinner cocktail.

To imbibe in a fizzy earl grey drink, check out my early grey champagne cocktail. Tea cocktails are super versatile, and you can play around with types of tea, herbs, fruit, whatever you're feeling up for. If you'd like to consider other herbs you can grow at home, check out my post for herbs you can grow for tisanes. Cheers!

Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail Recipe

It's tea cocktail time! Have you heard of an oolong hai? It's a deliciously refreshing Japanese tea cocktail that is super simple to make. You just need three ingredients- cold oolong tea, shochu, and ice.

What Is An Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail?
Oolong hai is a drink popular at izakaya restaurants and karaoke bars in Japan. I've had it at a few local Japanese places here in NY, and I just love the earthy, refreshing flavor. I'm imagining sitting out on our little patio in the springtime, listening to the birds and sipping an oolong hai.

The drink is called a 'hai', because it's short for 'highball'. A highball is basically whiskey with a mixer. The oolong hai is reminiscent of the original drink, with an interesting spin using shochu and tea. I find the oolong hai to be a bit more delicate than a highball. Depending on the variety of shochu you use the drink can be quite subtle, allowing the oolong tea to shine through.

Oolong Hai Ingredients
First, let's talk about the shochu. Shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor, usually made from sweet potato (imo), barley (mugi), or rice (kome). Each one has a different flavor, which will slightly change the overall flavor profile of your cocktail. Finding shochu may not be as simple as going to the liquor store. You may need to call around to see which store near you carries it. I had to visit a few stores until I found one that had it (I should have called ahead!). But you can also order it online, and as with any other liquor there are different grades and price points.

Of course, you'll also need an oolong tea. From everything I've seen, a medium to heavier-oxidized/roasted oolong is a good choice. I wouldn't use anything floral here, but you could certainly try one and see how it works. I decided to use a Muzha Tieguanyin for my cocktail, mainly because I had it in the house. Dong ding would work nicely too, whatever darker oolong you've got. I like to do a cold brewed tea, but if you don't want to wait, you can brew the tea to double strength and ice it.

Oolong Hai Tea Cocktail Recipe
The recipe is super simple! The basic recipe is six parts tea to four parts shochu.

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour over 120ml of shochu, then add 180ml of tea. Stir and enjoy!

Additions and Substitutions To Your Oolong Hai
If you feel like changing out the type of tea, you can make a sencha hai, which is also a popular drink and I'm sure it would be just as refreshing. I keep thinking hojicha would be a delicious substitution, which I'm going to try next!

If you'd like this to be closer to a classic highball you can add a fizzy component such as club soda or even ginger ale. A squeeze of lemon would also make it a nice summertime drink. It can be tailored to whatever flavors you feel like adding, since the shochu is so subtle.

Have you encountered any other interesting oolong hai cocktails? I'd love to hear your experience with them. Kanpai!