Getting creative with a CUPPA

GOOD QUALITY spirits and fresh juices are widely regarded as fundamentals for every wannabe cocktail creator but there are many other ingredients that give even the most amateur bartender the chance to have fun.
Forget expensive, fancy bitters and juice from fruits that you’ve never heard of and instead use tea.
“Tea is very versatile. You can infuse tea in savoury and sweets – all kinds of food – as well as in cocktails, and it’s not complicated at all,” says Robert Schinkel during his demonstration at the Conrad Bangkok’s Diplomat Bar.
The Dilmah Tea mixologist from Amsterdam was passing through town as guest bartender at the bar earlier this month, with a long list of tea cocktails to entice sophisticated drinkers.
“When I create a tea cocktail, I pick a tea and choose a spirit to match,” Schinkel continued. “It really depends on how you want to build, but tea and a spirit will be the most prominent ingredients in the glass, so make sure they match and complement each other. “
The first cocktail he made for his eager students was the Ceylon Old Fashioned – a classic with a twist. He matched Dewar’s blended Scotch whisky with Dilmah First Ceylon Souchony Tea, and completed the drink with cinnamon syrup and orange bitter. “I pick this tea because it is a smoked tea. The smokiness enhances the aroma of the whisky, and the taste of the tea is not too overpowering,” he explained. The result was a slightly lighter version of a classic Old Fashioned with cleansing palate and tickling whisky finish at the tip of the tongue.
More than one kind of tea can be used in a cocktail though cautious planning is required
“We enjoy food and drink with all five senses, and while your palate is tasting one kind of tea, your nose is enjoying the other.” Schinkel explained.
“This is the idea behind Mist of Ceylon, which allows you to enjoy two different teas at the same time, in different places.”
The cocktail itself is a mixture of Bombay Gin, lime, bitter, lavender syrup and Dilmah Original Early Grey. The “scent” part is the smoke that comes from mixing Dilmah Jasmine Green Tea with a cube of dry ice. You pour the thick, white and aromatic smoke on top of the cocktail, take a sniff then a sip and you’ll experience two teas in one glass.
For a non-alcohol option, the mixologist recommends La Vie en Rose, a mixture of Dilmah Rose with French Vanilla, white grape juice, syrup and a little lemon juice. This is great drink for an afternoon and an elegant choice for an afternoon tea party.
Schinkel warns that some caution in proportion is vital when using tea in the mix.
“Tea is mostly liquid and you don’t want to dilute the cocktail more than you need to, so the tea brewed for cocktails is different. Use more leaf to get really concentrated tea and leave it to cool before putting in a cocktail. That way you’ll have a cold drink with strong flavours and aroma of tea without too much water in your drink.”