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.
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!
January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day! Hot Toddies are one of my favourite winter beverages, and it is no mistake that Hot Toddy Day falls right in the middle of National Hot Tea Month. A good tea, a little honey, a little lemon, and a good dose of whiskey come together to make a beverage that is hand-warming and heartwarming. It's perfect for those days when the weather is cold and dreary and the nights are dark and arrive early. There are as many iterations of a Hot Toddy as there are people drinking them. This is the one I make most often, having slowly tweaked the recipe to fit my personal tastes. I'm a sucker for anything with a rich, smokey flavour, so I use a mix of English Breakfast and Lapsang Souchong for my tea base. I recently started using an extra-smokey scotch as the tipple; this makes for a rather campfire-y toddy, which is not for everyone. The balance between the heavy tea, peaty scotch, sweet honey, and sour lemon is exactly my cup of tea, however. Hot Toddy BCTH Style makes 2 toddies 1 heaping teaspoon English Breakfast 1 heaping teaspoon Lapsang Souchong Juice of 1/2 a Lemon + garnish 4 oz Whiskey or Scotch Honey to taste Steep tea with 16oz of boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Pour scotch into pre-warmed glasses or mugs. Add tea. Squeeze juice into glass and finish with desired amount of honey. Serve hot with lemon garnish. Winter is just settling in, so there is still plenty of time to experiment with a toddy recipe of your own. Do you like rum instead of whiskey? Cloves studded into your lemons for an extra punch? Apple slices instead of citrus? Be sure to let me know how you like your toddies in the comments!
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