Today is the first full day of summer, and one thing is sure – the heat is on!
That being said, today is the perfect day to introduce a new tea cocktail! One of my favorite cocktails to cool off comes from the sunny country of Brazil, literally translating from Portuguese as “little man from the country” – the Caipirinha.
My version presents all the classic ingredients (citrus, sugar and the sugar cane-based spirit cachaça) with a new, tea-infused twist. As if that wasn’t cool enough, it actually deconstructs the classic Tavalon blend, Lemongreen. Oh, yeah – and its delicious!
Enjoy!
LEMONGREEN CAIPIRINHA
2 tsp lemongrass-infused simple syrup (recipe follows)
4 Kaffir limes, halved and seeded, or 2 small, juicy limes, quartered
2 oz pure green-infused cachaça (recipe follows)
Muddle limes and lemongrass syrup in the mixing glass part of a Boston shaker until the lime juice is released. Pour an old-fashioned glassful of cracked ice into the mixing glass, add the green tea-infused cachaça, and shake to incorporate. Return all the contents to the old-fashioned glass.
lemongrass syrup
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons Sweet Lemongrass, dry
Combine both in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes to fully incorporate, then take off heat and add lemongrass leaves, steeping for 15 minutes. Strain and cool completely.
green tea cachaça
1 bottle cachaça (approx 1 Liter)
1/4 cup Pure Green, dry
Add green tea leaves into the bottle of cachaça, replace cap and shake vigorously to combine. Allow to “steep” for 45 minutes, then strain.
