Tag Archives: Teatail

Tuesday Tea – Apple Orchard Bliss

November 7, 2023 By in Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hold on to your tastebuds, my friends, because Apple Orchard Bliss is one of the best teatails we’ve ever created. While black teas comprise the backbone of my hot tea drinking experience, Candy Apple tea from Ohio Tea Co. has made me sit up and take notice.

I purchased a one-ounce packet for my husband, who adores flavored teas, and it smelled so good that I tried a cup for myself. I prefer my hot tea clear, i.e., without cream or sugar, and Candy Apple delivered on flavor and mellowness. Of course, my brain went straight to how can I turn this amazing beverage into a warm teatail?

My mother’s candy apples, whether covered with hard candy or caramel, are among my favorite childhood memories. This brought Smirnoff Kissed Caramel vodka to mind, and while vodka can sometimes peter out even in a cold cocktail, it was perfect for this warm tea toddy.

“The Sri Lankan black tea that is used as the base for the blend carries smoky, woody notes that pair well with the lighter, candy-like flavors” according to Ohio Tea Co.’s website. The addition of apple pieces, cinnamon, and natural candy apple flavor perfectly compliment the black tea and will conjure fond memories of eating candy apples at carnivals, fairs, and grade school functions!

This was our initial experience keeping tea hot for a teatail, and we nailed it. So, treat yourself to this delicious teatail that you’ll want to enjoy throughout the coming winter.

Apple Orchard Bliss

6 t Candy Apple tea

6 c fresh water

1½ c raw sugar

1 c fresh water

½ – 1 oz. Smirnoff Kissed Caramel vodka

Bring six cups of water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Candy Apple tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, carefully pour it into a two-quart crockpot. Place the tea ball in the hot water, taking care to trap the chain under the edge of the lid. Turn the setting to Keep Warm and brew for six hours.

You may swirl the tea ball gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the crockpot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor added later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Test for desired warmth. If you prefer your teatail hotter, turn the crockpot setting to Low and allow to come up to temperature.

To Prepare

Measure ½ – 1 ounce of Kissed Caramel vodka and pour into a mug that holds at least 12 ounces. Add ½ – 1 ounce of the sugar syrup depending on how sweet you like your teatail. Ladle warm Candy Apple tea into the mug to within ¼ inch of the rim, stir to blend, and serve immediately.

This teatail is best when the quantity of tea prepared is consumed in one sitting. Since we’ve never had leftovers, I honestly cannot say if it reheats well.

Let me know in the comments if you try our first warm teatail, Apple Orchard Bliss, and how you liked it.

Tuesday Tea – Summer Sunset

August 29, 2023 By in Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Here it is for your drinking pleasure—the last teatail of the summer. But haven’t we had a great time creating, mixing, and drinking them? I know the Gibson Household sure has.

For this one, I turned to Ohio Tea Co. and their French Lemon Crème. Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore all things lemon. I’m actually a little surprised that it’s taken me this long to create a lemony teatail.

French Lemon Crème is delicious hot, but I wanted to see how well it held up when iced. The base of green rooibos is perfect for the addition of lemon peel, calendula, lemon wedges, and vanilla flavor. It brewed up a lovely deep orange and smelled heavenly.

As for which spirit to pair with the French Lemon Crème, that took a bit of experimentation. I must admit that I didn’t know exactly what I wanted from this teatail, and I certainly didn’t want to copy someone else’s recipe. I trusted that when I hit the right combination, I would know it.

But getting there took some time! Below are the combinations we tried en route to the perfect teatail.

  • Absolut Citron w/ sugar syrup – very herbal with a burn
  • Il Tramonto Limoncello – smelled and tasted like bubblegum
  • Il Tramonto Limoncello w/ sugar syrup – even more bubblegummy
  • Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy – lost the flavor of tea altogether
  • Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy w/ sugar syrup – syrup brought up the lemon flavor and smoothed out the bite of the shandy, but it still overwhelmed the tea
  • Oliver Lemon Moscato – too tart
  • Oliver Lemon Moscato w/ sugar syrup – mildly lemon but too bland
  • Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon w/ sugar syrup – warm and spicy but did nothing for the lemon flavor
  • Hendrick’s Gin w/ sugar syrup – creamy lemon flavor, smooth
  • St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur w/ sugar syrup – bright floral and lemony

Contrary to what you might think, we weren’t even tipsy at this point. We did, however, start to get close to what we wanted in a teatail. I will admit, though, that we will probably revisit this one next year for more taste testing and tweaking of the recipe. Otherwise, we think you’ll enjoy what we decided upon for the time being.

Summer Sunset Teatail

6 t French Lemon Crème

6 c fresh water

1½ c raw sugar

1 c fresh water

¼ oz. St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur

½ oz. Hendrick’s Gin

Bring the six cups of water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the French Lemon Creme tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To Prepare

In a cocktail stirring glass, measure ¼ oz. St. Germaine, ½ oz. Hendrick’s, and ½ oz. sugar syrup. Stir for about 15 seconds to combine.

In a drinking glass that holds at least 12 oz., place 4 ice cubes. Pour the spirits and sugar mixture over the cubes. Top off with chilled French Lemon Creme tea and stir gently to combine.

Let me know in the comments if you try Summer Sunset and how you liked it. Also, I don’t have a pretty picture of the finished teatail, but I do have one of the fruits . . . or rather spirits of our labor. Enjoy!

Tuesday Tea – Blue Thunder

August 22, 2023 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

I can already smell fall in the air. It’s a wonderful experience if, like me, you are not a summer person. One thing that always helps me deal with summer heat and humidity is the expectation of drinking a delicious teatail. The great thing about the one I’m featuring today is that the flavors tiptoe close to those one would also enjoy during the fall. And if you’re like me in this respect as well, you enjoy drinking iced tea long into the cooler months of the year.

Once again, Ohio Tea Co. delivers with their Blueberry Crumble tea. Green rooibos is the base for currants, beetroot, cinnamon, blackberry leaf, lemongrass, and malva flowers. The aroma in the packet and when it’s brewing is spot-on for a blueberry muffin. Admittedly, I’ve never tried Blueberry Crumble hot because my tastebuds went straight to “What can I do with this iced?”

The hubby and I agreed that too many spirits in this tea would ruin the flavor, so we went to work trying to decide which one would enhance the tea. Vodka came to mind first because it’s so incredibly neutral, but we quickly discarded it because it can also be incredibly bland. Gin came to mind for me, but I think I was mentally guided by the picture on the packet, which looked very English to me, and gin always seems so English. Again, we discarded this option because gin would be too zesty with the tea ingredients.

“We need something warm in flavor to compliment the Blueberry Crumble tea,” I said.

That’s when we both exclaimed, “Bourbon!”

Woodford Reserve, which tastes of caramel and vanilla, slipped into this teatail as if it was made for it! It was warm and complimenting in flavor as well as warm on the backside but without the burn.

Coming up with a name for a teatail that is delicate and potent at the same time only stumped me for a moment. Blue Thunder as a name won the day, and we settled in to enjoy one or two more.

Blue Thunder Teatail

6 t Blueberry Crumble tea

6 c water

1½ c raw sugar

1 c water

½ – 1 oz. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bring the six cups of water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Blueberry Crumble tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To Prepare

In a cocktail stirring glass, measure ½ – 1 oz. Woodford Reserve and ½ oz. sugar syrup. Stir for about 15 seconds to combine.

In a drinking glass that holds at least 16 oz., place 4 – 6 ice cubes. Pour the spirits and sugar mixture over the cubes. Top off with chilled Blueberry Crumble tea and stir gently to combine.

Let me know in the comments if you try Blue Thunder and how you liked it.

Tuesday Tea – The Huntsman

August 1, 2023 By in Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

This one is for the men! I’ve crafted a teatail that is husband and son approved. Not that they haven’t absolutely enjoyed drinking the previous ones, but The Huntsman is clearly their favorite. Hence the manly name in honor of the spirit that backs this teatail.

I started with Root Beer Rooibos from Ohio Tea Co., which I tried hot and admittedly did not enjoy. I knew this tea was meant for cooler things such as iced tea. What I loved about the tea was the rooibos perfectly blended with ginger root, anise seed, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, pepper, fennel, sarsaparilla root, licorice, red peppercorns, black peppercorns, and star anise. What’s not to love?

Following the directions below for some smooth sipping with my latest teatail, The Huntsman

The Huntsman Teatail

6 t Root Beer Rooibos

6 c water

1½ c raw sugar

1 c water

Jägermeister

half & half

Bring the water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Root Beer Rooibos tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To prepare:

In a cocktail stirring glass, measure ½ oz. Jägermeister and ½ oz. sugar syrup. Stir for about 20 seconds to combine.

In a drinking glass that holds at least 16 oz., place 4 – 6 ice cubes. Pour the Jägermeister and sugar mixture over the cubes. Top off with chilled Root Beer Rooibos tea to within one inch of the rim.

Slowly pour half & half over the back of a spoon to within half an inch of the rim, creating swirls as the thicker liquid sinks into the drink.

The Huntsman is ready for sipping. Let me know in the comments if you tried this teatail and how you liked it.

Tuesday Tea – Escape

July 11, 2023 By in Read & Relax, Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

About two years ago, I purchased a two-ounce packet of Hawaiian Colada Rooibos from Ohio Tea Co. during a sidewalk sale at their establishment. The sweet earthiness of the rooibos blended perfectly with the other ingredients and lent itself quite well to the teatail I had in mind. Although we could never settle on a name for our teatail, we enjoyed it thoroughly and frequently that summer. But alas, Hawaiian Colada Rooibos was a limited edition and is no more. Imagine our heartbreak.

The good news is that in their creative wisdom, Ohio Tea Co. took it upon themselves to offer us Pina Colada, which has turned out to be a more than adequate replacement. So, this summer, when I returned to the drawing board for crafting teatails, I went straight for the Pina Colada. The heady aroma of this tea, or tisane if you want to be technical, smells like all things lush and tropical. Ingredients include apple, rosehip, pineapple, coconut pieces, hibiscus petals, and natural flavors. It is visually pleasing in the tea ball and the color is spectacular in the glass.

I recently made our new teatail for my mother, and after a couple of sips, I asked her for ideas on a name. Before she had the opportunity to respond, I told her that I was thinking of calling it “Escape” in honor of the Rupert Holmes song more commonly known as “The Pina Colada Song.” She laughed and said she was going to suggest that but didn’t think I’d go for it.

That settled it, and if you follow the directions below, you’ll be experiencing your own Escape before you can sing, “If you like pina coladas, and getting’ caught in the rain . . .”

Escape Teatail

6 c fresh water

6 t Pina Colada tea

1 c demerara sugar

1 c fresh water

Malibu Rum

Bring the water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Pina Colada tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Remove from the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To prepare:

You can perform a dry shake with a cocktail shaker if you choose. I recommend Viski products as they are quality and a great place to start building your personal bar. You can, however, achieve the same results, which is to thoroughly combine the Malibu Rum and chilled syrup, using a glass and a fork.

Measure ½ – 1 oz. Malibu Rum into a cocktail shaker or short glass and add ½ – 1 oz. of the rich syrup. Shake or stir until the liquor and syrup are completely combined. Set aside.

Choose a glass tumbler that is at least 12 oz. in size. Add four to six ice cubes depending on the size of your glass and cubes. Pour the chilled Pina Colada tea into your glass to within one inch of the rim. Top with the Malibu Rum/sugar mixture. Stir gently and enjoy!

I’d love to make this teatail again and garnish with a skewer of fresh pineapple, coconut, and apple slices. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried the Escape teatail and how you served it up!

Summer Vacation at Realm Central

June 21, 2023 By in Realm Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Summer has just begun, and here at Realm Central we’re already feeling the urge to go outside to walk, garden, and eat ice cream at every opportunity. And speaking of ice cream, a hearty “Thank You!” goes out to Therapy Ice Cream & Coffee Bar in Akron, Ohio for hosting a Realm book signing last Wednesday. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

So, as our minds and hearts wander outside, and our bodies closely follow, the writing diminishes in quantity ever so slightly. I used to fear the lull in my writing like the plague, and in doing so, I’d force myself to sit for long hours in front of a laptop while I stared longingly out my back sliding door, dreaming of basking in the sunlight instead of the glow from my computer. Needless to say, and yet I’m going to say it, the scant writing produced during just such a session was garbage. I mention this to remind myself to never return to that dark place.

What I’ve learned to do instead is extend myself some grace and find another way to be productive while simultaneously enjoying the summer. This has been achieved by crafting teatails. What is a teatail? I’m so glad you asked.

I have built upon my passion for tea by experimenting with brewing times, chilling the teas, and blending them with complimentary spirits. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of adding alcohol to iced tea, but my goal is to not make a teatail so top-heavy in booze that the tea is reduced to a mere color in the drink. Search “teatails” to find what we’ve created so far. If you want to read everything I’ve posted about tea, search “Tuesday Tea.”

Another reason the writing (novel and blog posts) will probably slow down this summer is that I’m in the research phase for a portion of my current WIP. I need some info on sailing, and while I’ve made a contact through a writing friend, the new contact is out of town, so writing is on hold at the moment. Bring me another teatail!

But I’m no fool, and in making the best use of this time, I’m staying in touch with writing by reading. Rabbi Sacks’s Covenant and Conversations, specifically his essays on the book of Bamidbar (Numbers) at this juncture, has gloriously dominated my reading. As I mentioned in a recent blog post (Say My Name, Say My Name), R. Sacks’s essays are so full of life that I simply cannot believe this man has passed on.

I’m also revisiting C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and I’m halfway through The Silver Chair. I find Lewis’s work to be timeless and influential, and whether reading his fiction or nonfiction, I’m taken back to the foundation of my own writing. Sidebar: Narnia reminds me of another favorite book from my childhood, South Star by Betsy Gould Hearne, which also heavily influenced my writing. I didn’t realize how much until I reread it last year. Perhaps a blog post on this would be a good idea.

Anyhow, Realm Central is always open and at least one staff member will be present to answer your questions and reply to your comments. If you need a great summer read that’s great all year long, and one to which you’ll return again and again, we highly recommend Realm. We’ve made it easily accessible to you with the handy links below.

Realm – Hardcover
Realm – Softcover

Stay tuned for updates and remember to have a great summer!

Tuesday Tea – We Be Jammin’

June 13, 2023 By in Read & Relax, Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

June and strawberries just go together which is why today’s Tuesday Tea features one of our favorite teatails, the We Be Jammin’. This light and delicious teatail is rich in sweet, jammy strawberry flavor. It’s gorgeous in the glass and perfect for summer.

Wild Strawberry, from Ohio Tea Co., is luscious with rosehips, hibiscus, apple pieces, strawberry pieces, and raspberry leaves. It’s perfect for icing. As a tea enthusiast, I insist that my teatail recipes highlight the tea, as all tea cocktails should, instead of boozing up the drink resulting in a beverage top-heavy in alcohol(s) wherein the tea is reduced to nothing but a color.

We Be Jammin’

6 c fresh water

6 t Wild Strawberry tea

1 c demerara sugar

1 c fresh water

Smirnoff strawberry vodka

Bring the water to 212° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the Wild Strawberry tea into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the contents into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To prepare:

You can perform a dry shake with a cocktail shaker if you choose. I recommend Viski products as they are quality and a great place to start building your personal bar. You can, however, achieve the same results, which is to thoroughly combine the Smirnoff and chilled syrup, using a glass and a fork.

Measure ½ – 1 oz. Smirnoff strawberry vodka into a cocktail shaker or short glass. Add ½ – 1 oz. of the rich syrup. Shake or stir until the liquor and syrup are completely combined. Set aside.

Choose a glass tumbler that is at least 12 oz. in size. Add four to six ice cubes depending on the size of your glass and cubes. Pour the chilled Wild Strawberry tea into your glass to within one inch of the rim. Top with the Smirnoff/sugar mixture. Stir gently and enjoy.

Now that’s something to be proud of!

Tuesday Tea – Summer Daze Teatail

May 23, 2023 By in Read & Relax, Tuesday Tea Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

April was a busy month as I prepared for my book launch celebration for my novel, Realm. With that being said, I didn’t have the opportunity to write a post for Tuesday Tea. I’m hoping that today’s will more than make up for that.

Oolong is one of my favorite teas, and Tie Guan Yin oolong presents the perfect base for Ohio Tea Co.’s Cucumber Lime Oolong. If you’re not familiar with Tie Guan Yin (also written as Ti Kuan or Ti Kwan), apparently, it is the most famous, tastiest, and rarest of Chinese teas. The name translates to Iron Goddess of Mercy, which makes me like it even more. These days it’s only lightly oxidized making it closer to green tea than black tea. It can be roasted or unroasted.

Tie Guan Yin paired with freeze dried cucumber and natural flavor produced a scent combination that inspired me to go straight to icing this beauty. The mention of limes and cucumbers, two items I’ve only ever eaten cold, made me think of all things cool and refreshing.

I didn’t want to stop at simply icing it, however, and I quickly worked it into what I call a teatail, i.e., a cocktail made with tea. Follow the directions below, and you, too, can remain cool, calm, and relaxed for the hot summer days just around the corner.

Summer Daze Teatail

6 c fresh water

6 t Cucumber Lime Oolong

1 ½ c raw sugar

1 c fresh water

Hendrick’s Gin

Bring the water to 180° F in a stainless-steel pot on the stove. While the water heats, measure out the oolong into a large, mesh tea ball. When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, place the tea ball in it and cover the pot with a lid. Remember to turn off the heat below the pot (gas stove) or remove it from the burner (electric stove).

Allow the tea to brew for six hours, during which time it will also come down to room temperature. You may swirl it gently, otherwise do not remove the lid from the pot. The long, undisturbed brewing time ensures the tea is strong enough to stand up to the liquor you will add later without being bitter.

While the tea is brewing, add the raw sugar to one cup of water in a stainless-steel pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring gently, until a rich syrup has formed. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. The syrup can be stored for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

When the tea has brewed, you may swirl the tea ball once to ensure evenness of color. Remove the tea ball and discard the expended tea. Do not press out the leaves into the brewed tea. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher and place in the refrigerator until the tea is completely chilled.

To prepare:

You can perform a dry shake with a cocktail shaker if you choose. I recommend Viski products as they are quality and a great place to start building your personal bar. You can, however, achieve the same results, which is to thoroughly combine the Hendrick’s and chilled syrup, using a glass and a fork.

Measure 1 oz. Hendrick’s gin into a cocktail shaker or short glass. Add ½ oz. of the rich syrup. Shake or stir until the liquor and syrup are completely combined. Set aside.

Choose a glass tumbler that is at least 12 oz. in size. Add four to six ice cubes depending on the size of your glass. Pour the chilled Cucumber Lime Oolong tea into your glass to within one inch of the rim. Top with the Hendricks/sugar mixture. Stir gently and sip yourself to contentment.

Enjoy!