Taking Tea with Mr. Tumnus Is One Tasty Cocktail.
This tea-infused martini has been an idea floating around in my head for some time that I’ve wanted to play with. A while ago I got the pleasure to go out with a couple for an evening at a really cool bar in Manhattan. This bar, called Pouring Ribbons, was started by award-winning bartenders in Manhattan who wanted to have a cocktail bar that focused on the inspirations and details of fun and unusual cocktails. Every 6 months they completely change the menu to a different theme. Usually, a literary reference, an era, or an entertainment, and each cocktail is then crafted with a specific reference to tell a story. Even the glasses have a meaning. It is an incredible experience, and if you are ever in the lower east side of Manhattan, I encourage to you to check them out.
The menu at Pouring Ribbons right now is themed to: As Seen on Trashy TV shows. There are cocktails themed to Rue Paul’s Drag Race, The Jersey Shore, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. When I went with my friends, the cocktails were themed to the 1980s in New York. The cocktails had themes like CBGB a famous bar and the Blizzard of 82. The Blizzard of ‘82 cocktail had this tea-infused gin in it. It was absolutely delicious. And there began my idea of using tea-infused vodka
I’ve heard of tea-infused cocktails before, but that was the first one I’d got to experience. I played around with the idea for quite some time and what would make a great cocktail. If you follow me, you know, I am a big fan of Spring 44 Honey Vodka. This vodka is flavored with honey but it isn’t sweet, it has this delightful essence that fills your senses. It’s perfect over ice but, what would it be like to infuse it with black tea? It turns out it’s fantastic! So I used Spring 44 honey vodka as the base for the infusion. It’s a great start for the flavor of honey in this cocktail. I also love tea with honey and lemon. I added some extra honey and some fresh lemon juice to balance out the flavors a bit. This cocktail is not a sweet drink. The honey is there for just the hint of flavor and to balance out the bitterness of black tea. Don’t forget the lemon rind garnish. The oil from the rind will punch up the lemon flavor in Taking Tea With Mr. Tumnus. This is an excellent cocktail for a comforting gathering of friends or for a different kind of afternoon tea!
Infusing vodka or gin with tea is really easy. It takes around 24 hours, and then you strain out the tea. The tea-infused vodka will keep for a very long time in a sealed jar, and you can use it whenever you want to make one of these fabulous martinis. I used only 2 cups of the vodka to make this tea-infused cocktail. Since you need just 3 oz for each cocktail that is plenty for me. I can enjoy the rest of the bottle of honey vodka on its own. But if you want you could use the whole 750 ml bottle. For an entire bottle, you would need 4 ½ tablespoons of black tea, the 750 ml bottle is a little over 3 cups.
So to theme this martini, I started to think of who and what might drink a cup of tea. I played with several different characters and themes such as the Mad Tea party from Alice in Wonderland or maybe the Bad Grannies from Monty Pythons Flying Circus and any of the Jane Austin Novels or movies would have great references to tea. But I finally landed on one of my favorite characters from CS Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Mr. Tumnus the faun had a sophisticated way about him, and I believe he might love one of these. The tea-infused vodka might just relax him a bit…lol. CS Lewis was a big fan of a few drinks now and then, so I hope he might approve.
A note about using the honey syrup. I’ve learned if you use straight honey in the cocktail it doesn’t dissolve completely. By dissolving the honey in water beforehand, it blends perfectly. The choice of what honey you use will affect the flavor of this cocktail. I would choose mild flavored honey so as not to overtake the tea. Though a smoky honey would be pretty tasty in this cocktail. I hope you try this tea-infused honey vodka. Taking Tea With Mr. Tumnus is a fantastic cocktail that will warm your soul. Let me know in the comments below.
A great cocktail using honey flavored vodka infused with black tea and a hint of more honey and Lemon.
- 2 cups of honey vodka such as Spring44. you can use plain vodka or a smooth gin
- 3 tablespoons of loose black tea. 9 teabags will work too
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 oz tea infused vodka
- 1 1/3 oz honey syrup
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 lemon rind twirl, twist or slice for garnish
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Pour the honey vodka into a very clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
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Add the black tea and stir.
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Cover and let steep for at least 4 hours and up to 15 to 24 hours. If you let it steep longer than that the tea will get too bitter. I find that the tea bags steep faster because of the fine grind of the leaves in the teabags.
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Strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer or several layers of cheesecloth into a 2 cup measuring cup or a second very clean jar.
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If you use the measuring cup, clean the jar very well and pour the strained vodka back into the jar. Seal the jar, close the lid tightly, and the vodka will last for many weeks if you are not using it all for a party.
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Mix together the honey and the warm water
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Stir until the honey has been dissolved
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You only need a little over 2 tablespoons (1 1/3 oz ) for each cocktail. Any extra honey syrup will keep covered in the fridge for a week or two.
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Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer or fridge to chill. You can also fill the glass with ice and water to quickly chill.
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Pour 3 oz of the tea infused honey vodka, the 1 1/3 oz of the honey syrup, and 3/4 oz of lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.
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Fill the shaker with ice.
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Cover the shaker with the lid and shake for several seconds or until very cold and the shaker starts to frost up.
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Pour into the chilled martini or coup glass.
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Garnish with the lemon twist and serve cold.
At a gathering we used 8 earl grey teabags and just let it steep for only 4 hours. it was great.
