For this refreshing vodka cocktail, sweetened with honey syrup and brightened by lemon, Dave Arnold infuses black tea into the base spirit, but mitigates what might otherwise be overwhelming tannic notes by milk-washing it. It’s a technique that retains all of the flavor of the infusion with none of the tannic grip.
Tee Time
Dave Arnold, Booker & Dax | New York
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces milk-washed second flush Darjeeling-infused vodka (see Editor’s Note)
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce honey syrup
- 5 drops 20% saline solution
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake with ice.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
Editor's Note
Milk-Washed Second Flush Darjeeling-Infused Vodka:
1000 milliliters Vodka
20 grams second flush Darjeeling tea
250 milliliters milk
15 milliliters 15% citric acid solution
Combine tea and vodka and let sit for an hour, stirring regularly. Once the vodka is dark and deeply infused, strain off the tea leaves. Slowly add tea-infusede vodka to the milk, whisking gently to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add the citric acid solution while whisking gently. Once the milk curdles and clearly separates, spin in a centrifuge or strain through a coffee filter.
15% Citric Acid Solution:
15 grams citric acid
85 grams water
Add to a container and stir to dissolve.
Honey Syrup:
1000 grams honey
640 grams hot water
Combine and stir to dissolve.