The Athol Brose ToddyHappy National Hot Toddy Day! Obviously this is one of my favourite made up holidays, and unlike some of the more unfortunately planned ones, happens to fall right when you need a warming beverage the most. This year I decided to try a toddy twist on a classic concoction- The Athol Brose. This traditional Scottish drink is made with scotch, honey, sometimes oatmeal, and sometimes cream. I highly recommend giving it a google- it's pretty interesting! I decided to forego the oatmeal in mine, although I wouldn't be opposed to working it in in future attempts. Instead I opted to infuse the cream with Earl Grey tea, which is what pushes this drink into toddy territory. First warm the cream until just starting to steam. Place teabag in cream and let steep until desired strength. I recommend taking it a hair further than you expect, since there will be other bold flavours in the drink. Return cream to fridge and let fully chill. Place (empty) cocktail shaker into fridge to chill. Make honey syrup by stirring together honey and hot water until fully combined. Just before you are ready to pour and serve, put cream into chilled shaker and shake until fully aerated but not "whipped." Pour honey syrup to taste into glass or mug. Add equal measures of scotch and hot water. Pouring along the edge of the glass, float the cream over the mix. Serve and drink immediately. *My glass was purposefully small, intended to almost be a warm and soothing shot, but equally intended to show off the nature of the float. If the appearance of the drink doesn't matter, I would serve in a warmed mug with an even greater volume of scotch and hot water.* Your first sensation is the smell of the tea, full bodied and bright. Then as you sip you get the incredibly rich, cool, and creamy beginning followed by the sweet, spiky, and warm base. It's the perfect match of opposites. So today, or any day you need helping warming up, give the Athol Brose Toddy a try.
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Happy National Gin and Tonic Day! Today is National Gin and Tonic Day, and although I am happy to imbibe one any day of the year, I'm thrilled there's a day entirely dedicated to this classic cocktail. You may remember that last year I celebrated with a variation on the G&T that included a jasmine green tea simple syrup. Well this year my G already has the tea, so all it needs is T. Translation: today's gin is distilled with botanicals and tea, so no need to add any more. Gin, a little tonic water, a garnish, and you've got a tea lover's and gin lover's cocktail ready to serve. The gin is from Townshend's Distillery, located in Portland, Oregon. They started as a tea company and then transitioned into distilling as well. This is the first spirit I've tried from them, but I am excited to explore their other offerings! Naturally, they have more than one tea-centric liquor and I can't wait to experience them all. I urge you to go to their website and take a look- maybe something will strike your beverage fancy! What makes this particular gin selection so special is that it is distilled with jasmine silver tip green tea, chamomile flowers, and lavender buds. The tea gives this gin a slightly grassy quality that is balanced by the floral aromatics. Some of the other botanical gins I've tried lose their acidic backbone, which can make the sweet floral notes overwhelming and undermine the traditional gin flavour that I love. This gin manages to steer clear of that folly, retaining the juniper punch and bitter high notes of a more traditional style. If ever there was a sipping gin, I think this might be it. However, because this isn't World Gin Day (June 8th!), but rather Gin and Tonic Day, I'm drinking this gin with a light tonic and a simple garnish. Using a light tonic water instead of a full-sugar variety means you still get the effervescence and quinine kick, but without masking more delicate profiles. Garnish with a cucumber slice, lemon wedge, or lime squeeze and you have a simple, classic, yet utterly unique gin and tonic.
Menu Starters Marcona Almonds Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives Picholine Olives Herbs de Provence Cured Olives Celery with Trio of Dipping Sauces Sandwiches Harlequin Ham and Swiss Cucumber Blossom Sweets Tangerine Marmalade Scones Black Sesame Cookies Eclairs Meringues Drinks Black and Gold Tea French 75 Cocktail It certainly wouldn't be a celebration 20s style without a little giggle-water or jorum of skee. The French 75 is a classic cocktail that is quick, easy, and holds up well in a punch bowl. With gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bubbly, the French 75 is quintessentially old-school but also refreshingly timeless. Serve it in cut crystal for a subtle nod to the midnight ball drop, and freeze lemon peel in ice rings to add a little extra drama. For youngsters and teetotalers, a black and gold tea blend is served from a vintage silver tea pot. Handleless teacups are a great way to recognize the heavy influence Chinese and Japanese designs had throughout the era. The tea itself is a mixture of Chinese Chrysanthemums, Chinese Golden Spring (a black tea that includes buds covered in golden down), and Lapsang Souchong. The chrysanthemums and Golden Spring are both fairly mild teas with delicate flavours. The Lapsang is there to provide just a little bit of a backbone to the others, and round out the floral notes with the barest hint of smoke.
The sweets are a healthy mix of French pastries (the moniker used on 1920s menus for desserts) and classic tea time treats. Tangerine marmalade scones, with jam in the dough as well as melted over the top, have the same sweet yet tangy brilliance as the French 75. Chocolate dipped eclairs get their glad rags on with a bit of gold deco, and meringues are the cat's meow in shimmering black fringe. Lemon scented cookies rolled in black sesame seeds find the right balance between rich and delicate. All in all the sweets are complementary to the bold starters, the punchy booze, and the mild mannered tea. The decorations are simple in black, gold, and silver, with crystal accents. The flapper inspired backdrop is constructed from wrapping paper that was fringed and layered. Simple white flowers and lemon slices fill a shallow bowl for an elegant but effortless centerpiece. Add a few floating votives to give even more depth and shine to your table. So put a little elbow grease into polishing the silver, gather your hotsy-totsy friends, and have a rollicking good time with this Bee's Knees New Years Eve Tea Party. From Bedford Cottage Tea House, I hope you have a swell end to 2018 and a keen beginning to 2019. That's berries, folks!
The second Saturday in June is World Gin Day, a holiday I was woefully misguided by a different website into believing was June 11th. So my apologies for this post being a day late, but really, when isn't a good time to celebrate gin? Gin is my go-to liquor of choice, no matter what season we are in or how old I get. When I go to a bar that specializes in gin cocktails, I am in heaven. I love that gin is sweet, bitter, and aromatic all at the same time. It's only natural to pair gin with tea, since gin is already scented with herbs and spices. I've chosen two herbal teas to highlight today's gin concoction, Golden Chrysanthemum and Olive Leaves, from Harney and Sons. The chrysanthemums give the drink a surprisingly rich and spicy undertone that is nonetheless identifiably floral. The olive leaves are vegetal and grassy, with a subtle heaviness reminiscent of olive oil. Combined with a gin thats been distilled with limes and lime leaves, this cocktail is smooth, fragrant, and fantastically drinkable. World Gin Cocktail BCTH Style 1 heaping tablespoon golden chrysanthemum flowers 1 heaping tablespoon olive leaves 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon sugar 2 oz gin, I recommend Russell Henry Malaysian Lime Ice Place chrysanthemum leaves in heat proof measuring cup or pitcher. Place olive leaves in second heat proof measuring cup or pitcher. Add one cup boiling water to each vessel and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain immediately into new vessels and let cool to room temperature. Reserve one chrysanthemum flower for garnish. Add two ounces chrysanthemum tea, two ounces olive leaf tea, two ounces gin, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar to cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake for approximately 20 seconds then decant into waiting glass. Add reserved flower for garnish and enjoy. Are you a gin fan? What is your preferred style of gin and gin cocktail?
Happy World Gin Day from Bedford Cottage Tea House, and may your cup never run dry! April 9th is National Gin & Tonic Day!Happy National Gin & Tonic Day! G&T's are my go-to drink at home and at the bar, so of course I had to make a special version for today's celebrations. While I normally like a gin and tonic that is bracing and bitter, this recipe shows the softer side of the drink. I combined a botanical gin with a jasmine green tea simple syrup for a sweet and floral cocktail perfect for spring. A blood orange for garnish instead of a lime gives some colour to this pale beauty, but keeps the acidity from overpowering the delicate undertones. G&T BCTH Style 1 teaspoon jasmine green tea 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup white sugar 1.5 ounces botanical gin, such as Uncle Val's 1/2 ounce jasmine green simple syrup 3 ounces tonic water blood orange for garnish For the syrup: Steep the jasmine green in cold water overnight. Combine with sugar in small saucepan and place over high heat until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and strain. Let cool. For the cocktail: Combine all ingredients in a fancy glass and garnish with the blood orange. Serve at once. Although you don't need to get out the fine crystal or the family silver for this 'holiday,' I recommend doing so anyway. There's a romance to this drink that deserves a little recognition. Celebrate yourself, the coming of a new season, and all the little pleasures in life with a G&T. I raise my glass to you, fellow gin drinkers, and hope you someday try the Bedford Cottage Tea House version of this classic cocktail. Cheers!
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