While 2021 hasn’t been as quite back to “normal” as we had all hoped, it’s certainly a sight better than the 2020 holiday season! To help you celebrate this year, we thought we’d get the party started with some great holiday mocktail and cocktail recipes that you can make with tea. No reason to keep talking -- let’s start mixing!

Oh wait, one more thing: often, these recipes will call for 2 oz. of tea. Obviously, if you make a cup of tea you’re going to have more than 2 oz. -- which means you can make two or three or four cocktails, which of course is the point, sharing them with friends. Cheers!

Mocktails

Mulled Tea

A tea twist on the traditional holiday mulled wine. And without alcohol, ‘tis suitable for the   berry   young!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp   Hot Cinnamon Spice tea
• 1 tsp   Berry Young tea
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 tsp coarsely crushed cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp grated orange rind
• ¼ tsp grated fresh lemon rind

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in an infuser, or a piece of cheesecloth (bring corners together and tie securely with string).
2. Add 6 oz. boiling water and steep 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove infuser or cheesecloth bag. Add a cinnamon stick, if you wish, and enjoy!

Tea-Tini Mocktail

All the classy refinement of a holiday martini, none of the booze. British accent optional.

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 6 oz.  Organic Green with Citrus & Ginkgo tea, steeped and cooled
• 3 oz. lemon simple syrup
• 1 strip lemon zest

Lemon Simple Syrup:

• 1 C sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced

Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the lemon juice. Use immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Instructions:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
2. Add the cooled tea and the cooled lemon simple syrup; shake vigorously.
3. Pour into a chilled martini glass, garnish with the lemon strip.

Apple Whiskey Mocktini

We swapped out the whisky with our wonderful Japanese Whisky tea for a lovely autumn mocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz.  Japanese Whisky tea, steeped and cooled
• 2 oz. apple cider or apple juice
• 2 dashes bitters
• Cinnamon stick
• Apple slice

Instructions:

1. Combine steeped tea, apple cider or juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until cold.
2. Pour over fresh ice in a coupe or martini glass, garnish with cinnamon stick and apple slice.

Bee’s Knees Mocktail

The winner of our 2020 customer blending contest was Bee’s Knees, a nod to the vintage 1920s gin cocktail. So of course we had to make a non-alcoholic version of this classic cocktail featuring our very own Bee’s Knees tea!

Ingredients:

• ½ oz. honey syrup (see instructions below)
• 1 oz. lemon juice (about ½ medium lemon)
• 2 oz.  Bee’s Knees tea, steeped and cooled
• Lemon twist for garnish

Instructions:

1. To make the honey syrup: combine equal parts honey and water (roughly 2 tablespoons each if you’re only making a few cocktails) in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Warm in the microwave or over the stovetop just until you can completely stir the honey into the water. Set aside.
2. Before juicing your lemons, use a vegetable peeler to peel off a strip or strips of zest for your twist.
3. To make the cocktail, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the honey syrup, lemon juice and steeped/cooled Bee’s Knees tea. Securely fasten the lid and shake until the mixture is very cold, about 30 seconds.
4. Strain the drink into a martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over the cocktail to release some of its oils, then drop it in.

Cocktails

Matcha Sour

A lovely green cocktail to put you in the holiday mood, created by Patrice Plante, mixologist at Monsieur Cocktail.

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp  Matcha Jobetsugi powder
• ¾ oz. sake
• 1 oz. gin
• ¾ oz. lime juice
• ½ oz. honey syrup
• 1 egg white
• Ice cubes
• Julienned lime zest for garnish

Honey Syrup

• 1 part water
• 1 part honey

In a small saucepan, bring the ingredients to a simmer and stir until combined.

Syrup can be stored for one month in the refrigerator.

Instructions:

1. Mix the tea powder into the sake with a spoon.
2. Pour into a bowl or cocktail shaker. Add the gin, lime juice, honey syrup and finish with the egg white. Add the ice and mix vigorously.
3. Strain the mixture to remove the ice. Return the preparation to the shaker and mix again vigorously to emulsify the egg white.
4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass containing an ice cube.
5. Add a little of the mousse and garnish with the lemon zest.

Bromance

A very festive, colorful cocktail created by Jean-Félix Desfossés, mixologist at the Chateau Frontenac.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. white rum
• ¾ tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp guava juice
• 1 tbsp Earl Grey tea syrup
• 3 drops bitters
• 2 drops rose water
• Ice cubes
• Lime zest and rosebuds to garnish (optional)

Earl Grey Tea Syrup

• 3 tsp  Earl Grey tea
• 1 C hot water
• ½ tsp rose water
• 3 tsp granulated sugar

Put the tea in a cup, pour the hot water over it and allow it to infuse for three minutes. Strain.

Add the rose water, then the sugar, and stir until completely dissolved.

Instructions:

1. Combine the rum, juices, tea syrup, bitters, and rose water in a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill with ice cubes and shake vigorously.
3. Strain the mixture into a cold cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with lime zest and a rosebud, if desired, for extra festiveness!

French 75

This classic drink is said to have been invented in 1915 at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. The name came from the fact that the combination of gin and champagne made the drink as powerful as a French 75mm field gun! Fortunately, with this version that substitutes our Bee’s Knees gin-flavored tea for the gin, the punch isn’t quite as powerful!

Making this drink is simple: see our   Bee’s Knees Mocktail recipe above. Instead of pouring the drink into a single martini glass, divide it between two champagne glasses, then top off the glass with champagne for a gin-free French 75 (maybe that makes it more like a French 37.5!).

Hot Chai Toddy

The warm spices of chai are perfect for a bourbon toddy on a winter’s evening.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp  Chai tea
• 8 oz. hot water
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 oz. bourbon
• Lemon wedge

Instructions:

1. Steep the tea in hot water in a mug or heat-proof glass. Discard the tea leaves.
2. Add the honey and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Add lemon juice and bourbon and stir until combined.
4. Garnish with the lemon wedge.

Apricot Blossom

This rum and citrus cocktail is almost too pretty to drink...almost.

Ingredients:

• 4 mint leaves, plus one sprig for garnish
• ¼ oz. simple syrup
• 1 ½ oz. brewed  Orange Pekoe tea, chilled to room temperature
• 1 oz. medium-bodied rum
• ½ oz. apricot liqueur
• ½ oz. lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle together the mint leaves and simple syrup so the mint releases its oils.
2. Fill the shaker with ice, add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously.
3. Pour into a coupe or martini glass.
4. Garnish with mint sprig and enjoy!