Smoky Old Fashioned
It is FeBREWary, and what better way to celebrate this incredibly cold month with a warming tea infused cocktail, highlighting my Tea of the Month of February 2021, Smoky Lapsang Souchong. I’ll be making a smoky version of the simple Old Fashioned. Smoky Sapsang Souchong is a Chinese black tea that, like its name suggests, is smoked using different parts of the pine tree including its leaves, wood, and rosin. Its bold flavours make it a great addition to a brown liquor like whiskey.
What you’ll need:
Before we begin, you’ll need:
Smoky Lapsang Souchong Tea
Whiskey/Bourbon
Mason Jar or other lidded vessel for storing your tea infused liquor
Fine mesh strainer
Funnel
A Muddler or spoon to crush and muddle some sugar
Jigger or measuring cup
Bar spoon
Peeler or knife
Rocks Glass
Ice
Sugar
Angostura Bitters
Orange Peel
How to make Smoky Lapsang Souchong infused whiskey
2 tsp (6-8g) smoky lapsang souchong tea
2 cups whiskey
Directions:
In a mason jar or other vessel with a lid, combine whiskey and smoky lapsang souchong black tea. Infuse for about 24 hours. Remove tea leaves by straining through a fine mesh strainer. Tea infused liquor can be stored indefinitely.
Smoky Old Fashioned Recipe
1 tsp sugar (or sugar cube)
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz Smoky Lapsang infused bourbon
Directions:
Place 1 sugar cube in a rocks glass. Add 2-3 dashes of angostura bitters and muddle together with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Place a large ice cube on top. Add your tea infused bourbon or whiskey and stir with a bar spoon. This not only cools the cocktail, but it dilutes and mellows the whiskey, and dissolves some of the sugar. Peel a piece of orange peel, give the rim of your glass a quick wipe with the orange peel, and express some of the orange oils into the glass by squeezing both ends of the peel over the cocktail. Add the peel to your glass, and enjoy.
