Jasmine Tea Hot Toddy with Empress 1908 Gin is the winter drink of your dreams!
Well, if you like tea, herbaceous gin, lemon, honey, and hot alcoholic beverages, the above statement is a true statement. Ha! But even if that sounds off to you, I bet I can change your mind.
I’ve long been a tea drinker, ever since I was a little kid. My tastes have changed. I used to be a peppermint tea with four sugars type of gal – thanks, Dad, for making me a sugar junkie as a kid! – but nowadays, I leave my teas sugarless but focus on dynamic flavors. Jasmine, tusli, a variety of mints, matcha, rooibos, you name it. Coming back to jasmine, I find it to be a a tea that’s both invigorating yet relaxing; I can drink a cup to perk myself up in the morning or drink a cup to wind myself down in the evening.
Anything herbal or botanical in my drinks makes me happy, so I was immediately drawn to Empress 1908 Gin. This vibrant gin is the love child of Victoria Distillers and Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. It is micro-distilled in copper pots and colored vibrantly indigo with the addition of butterfly pea flower. It is an absolute delight in its mix of herbal and tea notes, unlike any gin you’ve had before, surely!
This recipe was all on a whim – as are way too many things I create – but the combination of this botanical gin and the jasmine tea were a matched made in heaven! I knew I wanted to create something hot and soothing, and the stars aligned for me the afternoon this all came together. Honest to goodness, I nailed this recipe on the first try and have not improved upon it since, because I think it’s divine just the way it is!
This is a drink that will warm you down to your bones, and it’s great anytime of the day! But, if you are working from home, perhaps drink it during non-working hours only. (But…I can’t stop you, can I?)
Jasmine Tea Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 bag of jasmine tea of choice
- 2 oz. Empress 1908 Gin (or botanical gin of choice)
- Juice of 1/4 lemon (medium to large-sized)
Directions:
1.) In a small saucepan, bring 12 oz. of water to a simmer. Stir in honey until dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and add teabag; allow tea to steep for 2 – 3 minutes and discard teabag when finished.
2.) In a mug or glass that has at least a 15 oz. capacity, add tea mixture. Top with gin, squeeze in fresh lemon juice, stir, and enjoy!
Seek Satiation 