Holiday Cocktail

A warm glow illuminates the winter dusk at Heritage Tavern, pulling all passersby toward its candlelit tables and dark roasted chestnut décor that wraps diners like a comforting shawl.

This toasty ambience is about to get warmer, thanks to inspired mixologist Clint Sterwald’s A Rose for Emily cocktail, a concoction of Rishi White Tea Rose Melange White Tea Blend steeped in Edinburgh gin. The tea is a blend of jasmine and wild rose scented white teas infused with rejuvenating peppermint and calming lavender, which makes for a lovely flavored gin.

Although the magic of this drink typically hides behind the bar, its promenade along the senses begins even before it meets the tip of the tongue. It wafts a rich lavender-citrus aroma, spiked with a white pepper bite.

On the nose, the infusion of rose tea, gin and dry vermouth add a dash of bitterness to the pink-blushed sweetness and an egg white froth lines the glass.

A Rose for Emily is light enough to match with the restaurant’s Asian pear and duck confit salad and lamb tartar, or pair with a the crisp pork belly and tuna plate. Mix pink and purple with the head bartender’s special dinner suggestion, the roasted beet salad.

Emily is a lucky gal, to have this delightful drink named for her.

Here’s Sterwald’s recipe for the drink—either by the cocktail or punchbowl- style for your holiday gathering.

Single serving
2oz. Edinburgh gin, in which Rishi White Tea Rose Mélange White Tea Blend has been steeped to make a flavored gin

½  Oz. Vya dry vermouth

½ Oz.  lemon juice

½ Oz. Campari

½ Oz  white peppercorn syrup

1 Oz.  egg white

4 drops lemon oil

Vigorously dry shake (without ice) above ingredients for 30 seconds to create a meringue, or foam, from the egg white. 

For white tea-steeped gin
Cold steep 5 grams of Rishi White Tea Rose Melange White Tea Blend in the gin for five minutes and pour through tea strainer or a coffee filter.

For white peppercorn syrup:
Simmer white peppercorn in three cups of water until reduced in half. Strain peppercorn and discard. Add equal amount of sugar to remaining liquid (standard simple syrup solution) and stir until sugar is dissolved. Feel free to add as much peppercorn as you like depending on your love for peppercorn. I would start with 2 Tbs. and increase from there if you like.

Punchbowl recipe:
Simply take all ingredients and multiply by the number of drinks you would like and remove the egg white. No egg white at all.

Punchbowl for 10 people:

20 Oz. Edinburgh gin, into which is steeped the White Tea Rose Blend.

5 Oz. Vya dry vermouth

5 Oz. lemon juice

5 Oz. Campari

5 Oz. white peppercorn syrup

4 drops lemon oil

You can add about 750 ML of aloe water to the mix for volume and to cut alcohol content since people tend to drink punch faster than a single cocktail.