By Gary Regan in the SF Chronicle, adapted from a recipe by Jason Walsh of Bistro La Promenade, New York
One of the awesome things about tea is that how you prepare it changes how it tastes. In this cocktail, delicate sencha is made into a syrup using boiling water to bring out the sharp, astringent notes in the tea—maybe not something you’d want in a cuppa, but definitely the right choice when paired with the bite of single-malt whiskey! Lemon and mint smooth out the flavor that will keep you sipping to the last drop.
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
- 5 mint leaves
- 2 ounces Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt whisky
- 1-1/4 ounces sencha green tea syrup (see Note)
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1 mint sprig, as garnish
Preparation
- Tear the mint leaves and add them to a shaker with ice, the whisky, green tea syrup and lemon juice.
- Shake well and strain into an ice-filled double old-fashioned glass.
- Garnish with the mint sprig.
Sencha green tea syrup: Combine 2 tablespoons sencha green tea leaves and a scant 1/2 cup boiling water; let steep 7 minutes. Strain out the tea leaves and stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar until it dissolves. Cool; store in the refrigerator.
