A sophisticated liqueur made with Earl Grey Tea adds notes of bergamot and lavender to a slightly sweet liqueur. Sweetened further by the addition of Elderflower Tonic Water, this lightly floral cocktail is a fun summer sipper.
Summertime to me has always felt like an expansion of my living space. What becomes exposed and dry over winter transforms within a few weeks to a lush paradise, surrounding our deck with color and verdant shade. The indoor entertaining spaces of our home seem stifled and we are drawn to be outdoors whenever possible, sharing meals and summer cocktails until well after the sun goes down.
I’ll admit my natural enthusiasm for creating liquor infusions also comes alive during the summer. The natural flavors of ripe produce at its prime seems to provide endless inspiration. Truthfully the top shelf of my pantry looks more like a science lab with unending sizes of Mason jars housing my latest whims primed for cocktail parties and summer evenings centered around the grill.
I have always cast a wide net when creating infusions, letting the flavor combinations lead the way. I needed to create a more sophisticated blend for an upcoming party and have partnered with Everclear® to develop a new liqueur infusion and cocktail.
I’ve used Everclear® in liqueur recipes before, in fact a recipe that my mother used to make Crème de Menthe has been very popular on Boulder Locavore especially around the holidays.
Everclear® is 190 proof grain alcohol with no real flavor making it a blank slate for imparting flavors which infuse more quickly than with regular spirits. The depth of flavor is often more intense as well so the infusion should be checked for desired flavor during the process. Due to its strength Everclear® should be diluted in an infusion (usually 1:1 with filtered water), thus requiring less Everclear® to produce an equal or greater volume infusion than another typical liquors such as vodka. Depending on the intended end use, sugar or simple syrup may also dilute the infusion further in the case of making a liqueur. Tips for infusing with Everclear®, as well as recipes for infusions, bitters and cocktails may be found on their website Make It Your Own by Everclear®.
For my liqueur I made a Double Infused Earl Grey Tea Liqueur. With a light flavor of black tea and prominent notes of Bergamot and Lavender it has a beautiful floral flavor without being overly sweet. I chose to double infuse it by doing a jumpstart infusion with the Everclear® only then a second, longer infusion after water and simple syrup were added. The end cocktail is an Earl Grey Elderflower Sparkler, a non-fussy sipper made with the liqueur and Elderflower Tonic Water over ice. It bears sophisticated flavor and the refreshing quality we love about summer cocktails.
Recipe
Earl Grey Elderflower Sparkler {cocktail}
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Earl Grey Tea Liqueur:
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1 ½ cups Everclear® (190 proof)
- 3 plus 4 Earl Grey Tea bags
- 2 ½ cups Filtered Water
- 2 cups Simple Syrup
Ingredients for the Earl Grey Elderflower Sparkler (per cocktail):
- 1 ounce Earl Grey Tea Liqueur
- Elderflower Tonic Water to fill (approximately 8 ounces)
- Lime wedge garnish
- Ice
Instructions
Instructions for Earl Grey Tea Liqueur:
- Pour the Everclear® into a quart size Mason jar. Dip 3 Earl Grey Tea bags separately into the boiling water then into the Everclear®. Dunk the tea bags periodically (versus allowing them to sit idle) to encourage tea infusion.
- Leave the tea bags in the Everclear® for a total of 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard.
- Pour the infused Everclear® into a 6 cup or larger glass jar. Add the filtered water, simple syrup and remaining 4 tea bags ensuring the tea bags are submerged in the liquid. Seal with a lid.
- Allow the mixture to infuse for 90 minutes, periodically gently shaking the jar.
- Remove the tea bags and discard. Store sealed in a dark, cool location.
Instructions for Earl Grey Elderflower Sparkler:
- Fill a 12-14 ounce Collins glass with ice. Pour 1 ounce of the Earl Grey Tea Liqueur into the glass. Fill with chilled Elderflower Tonic Water. Stir and serve with a lime wedge garnish.
Nutrition
Everclear® is the perfect ingredient for craft cocktails and home mixology, allowing you to put your own spin on new and old favorites. With its neutral grain composition, Everclear® extracts the optimal flavor to infuse your cocktails — whether you’re making bitters, liqueurs, tinctures or extracts. Visit makeityourown.com for recipe ideas, tips and more!
“This post was brought to you by Everclear®, the “original” grain alcohol, and Luxco. I received compensation to write this post. The opinions and text are all mine.
Erin@WellPlated says
This looks absolutely lovely and so refreshing. I love that you make your own liqueurs, and this would be a great gift too!