They say Winston Churchill took a splash of scotch whiskey with his tea. Or maybe it was that he took a splash of tea with his scotch whiskey? Either way, we think he’d approve of this tea-infused cocktail. Teatulia’s smooth and sweet black tea infused in vermouth provides the backdrop for this boozy rye whiskey cocktail that’s finished with a rinse smoky scotch whiskey. The combined flavors are reminiscent of lapsang souchong, a Chinese black tea that is smoke-dried over fire to infuse it with smoky flavor.
Adapted from a recipe submitted by Kevin Burke, mixologist at Denver’s neighborhood restaurant Colt & Gray.
Ingredients:
For black tea vermouth:
- 6 oz. rouge vermouth (preferably Dolin Rouge)
- 4 Teatulia Black Tea round tea bags
For one cocktail:
- 1 3/4 oz. rye whiskey (preferably Sazerac 6 Year Old Straight Rye)
- 1 oz. black tea vermouth
- 1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur (preferably Luxardo)
- Dash lemon bitters
- Dash smoky scotch whiskey (such as Laphroaig 10 Year Old Scotch)
- Lemon twist for garnish
Preparation:
For black tea vermouth:
Cover tea bags with vermouth and let steep for 30 minutes to 1 hours. Strain and discard tea bags. Store infused vermouth in a sealed glass container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
For one cocktail:
Combine rye whiskey, black tea vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters over ice in stirring glass. Stir 20 seconds to chill. Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with a dash of smoky scotch whiskey then discard any whiskey remaining in the glass. Strain the stirred cocktail into the cocktail glass and garnish with lemon twist.
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