G & Tea cocktail Recipe

Take your gin and tonic to the next level with this deliciouscocktail recipe. For a playful twist on a classic ‘g&t’ we’ve made a delicious green tea syrup, which forms the basis of this zesty gin cocktail.

Making your own sugar syrups for cocktails couldn't be easier and once you've mastered how to make one, you'll want to make them all the time in all different flavours. Our recipe adds to the basic combination of sugar and water with freshly-brewed green tea and plenty of lemon zest. The result is a fragrant syrup which mixes well with your favourite gin. The earthy, complex flavour of green tea, and the zesty lemon make perfect partners to gin and tonic. Serve with a slice of lemon or lime for a delicious finish.

This sophisticated serve wouldn’t look out of place at a cool London cocktail bar, where imaginative gin cocktails are more in demand than ever. Think of it as a trendy update on the Long Island Ice Tea. And even though this is most certainly delicious in summer it also makes a fabulous winter cocktail, too - offering something a bit lighter to the usual eggnog or creamy cocktails drinks at Christmas parties.

You can garnish your green tea G & Tea cocktail any way you fancy, just as you would a regular gin and tonic. We've used lemon or lime in this recipe but slivers of fresh grapefruit or cucumber also work well.

To make sure you get the best finish on your fancy new gin and tonic remember to have plenty of ice cubes on hand - larger ones work best as they melt slowly and will keep drinks cooler for longer.

HOW TO MAKE A G & TEA COCKTAIL

Ingredients

For the green tea syrup:

• 200ml water
• 200g caster sugar
• peeled zest of 2 lemons
• 1 green teabag

For the G & Tea cocktail:

• 2tsp green tea syrup
• 25ml gin
• 150ml tonic water
• slice lemon or lime, to serve

Method

1. For the green tea syrup, dissolve the water and sugar with lemon zest over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly then add the teabag and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the teabag, leave in the lemon and allow to cool.
2. For the G & Tea cocktail, add 2tsp tea syrup to your gin and tonic with a slice of lemon or lime.