I've been fascinated with teas that contain butterfly pea flowers because of both the pretty blue color and the fact that they'll change to purple or pink with the addition of acidic ingredients -- the pigment that makes the flowers blue reacts to changes in pH. I also love jasmine tea and when I found that Rishi had combined the two, I was excited to try it. I did not have their exact blend, but I had their plain jasmine tea and plain butterfly pea flowers at home, and seeing as those are the only two ingredients in their blend, I added butterfly pea flowers to the jasmine tea until it looked visually similar to their picture. I brewed some first to taste it and I liked it, so my next trial was to make their Gin Blossom drink with the tea I blended. It involves steeping the tea overnight in the gin, something that was new to me but seems safer than infusing liquor with fresh fruit at room temperature for weeks.
I only made half a batch of the infused gin because I wasn't sure if it'd be worth the extra work but I LOVE it. The finished drink was surprisingly complex and nicely balanced. It started out tasting lightly fruity and sweet, almost like a grape popsicle, and then as I sipped and the ice melted I started to get more of the bitterness and floral flavors from the tea.
Notes:
- I used a neutral flavored gin (New Amsterdam) and liked the result, but I could see an herbal or floral tasting one working nicely too.
- The color of the finished drink was less vivid pink than their photo but was still delightfully pretty.
- Don't skip the lemon peel! It helps balance all the flavors and also smells nice while you drink.
Verdict: This was unusual and lovely, and not particularly hard to make, though it takes some more planning than a regular gin and tonic. I would definitely make it again, especially for a fancy event or special occasion.
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Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic
adapted from Rishi Tea
Per 1 drink:
2 oz tea infused gin (recipe follows)
5 oz tonic water
Ice
Lemon peel
Tea infused gin (makes enough for 5 drink servings)
5 g dried jasmine green tea
3 g dried butterfly pea flowers
10 oz (about 300 ml) neutral flavored gin
To infuse gin: combine all ingredients in a glass jar with secure lid and let stand overnight (~8 hours) at room temperature. Strain out tea leaves.
To make the drink: Fill a rocks or highball glass with ice. Pour gin over the ice, then top with tonic water. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with the lemon peel. Serve immediately.
