Depth, flavour and complexity without the alcohol? You’d better believe it.
About the cocktail
We are in a golden age of creative cafe-style drinks right now. Think about those modern sensations like the Mont Blanc (and our whisky-spiked version), strawberry matcha latte, and the endless parade of eye-popping tea and coffee drinks. If you ask us, these are essentially non-alcoholic cocktails that use tea or coffee as a base – and that’s exactly what you’ll get with Earl’s Vacation. The star of the show here is Earl Grey-infused verjuice. If you’re not familiar with verjuice, it’s essentially a very sour grape juice. It’s bright, it’s textural and, when combined with the bergamot-flavoured Earl Grey tea, it becomes the perfect foil for the rest of the sweet and fruity flavours here. Earl’s Vacation also calls for coconut water, pineapple juice and sugar syrup, with an optional dash of fragrant orange blossom and a spiced pineapple garnish. The result is a balance of tropical, sweet and sour flavours that is as good as anything you’ll find at a great cafe. Of course, being tea-based, we can see Earl’s Vacation as a perfect brunch drink, especially if you’re taking it easy on holiday – as the name suggests. Pair it with pancakes drizzled in maple syrup and topped with fresh berries, and you’ll forget all about that pesky job.
Ingredients: Early Grey verjuice
2 Earl Grey tea bags
250mL verjuice
Ingredients: Cocktail
15mL Earl Grey verjuice
45mL coconut water 15mL pineapple juice 15mL sugar syrup 1 dash orange blossom, optional Garnish: roasted pineapple wedge sprinkled with nutmeg Glass: rocks
Method
For your Earl Grey verjuice, place tea bags in the verjuice and leave it to steep for 30 minutes Once infused, discard tea bags and add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker Add three ice cubes and shake until the tin is frosty Pour the mix into your glass and top with crushed ice If you have a blowtorch, scorch the pineapple wedge and sprinkle it with nutmeg, then place it on the edge of your glass. Alternatively, fresh pineapple with nutmeg works well, too
Dan’s top tips
If you’re looking at this method and thinking three ice cubes sounds a bit specific, there’s some rationale behind it. This is what’s called a ‘whip shake’, and it’s designed to create just the right amount of dilution without reducing flavour – something particularly important in non-alcoholic cocktails. It’s a little like the technique played out by the spring in your protein shaker. The more you know, right? The other thing to keep in mind is the toasted pineapple garnish. Our recipe calls for a wedge of pineapple, scorched with a blowtorch and sprinkled with nutmeg. Consider this step totally optional. If you have a blowtorch and the inclination to do it, go for it. If not, a fresh wedge of nutmeg-sprinkled pineapple is also great. In both cases, pineapple goes surprisingly well with the coconut and Earl Grey flavours.
1. Is the Earl’s Vacation a non-alcoholic cocktail?
Yes. This is a very flavoursome, textural and interesting non-alcoholic cocktail.
2. How do you make the Earl’s Vacation?
To make the Earl’s Vacation, you’ll need to infuse verjuice with Earl Grey tea, and combine that with coconut water, pineapple juice and sugar.
3. What does the Earl’s Vacation taste like?
Earl’s Vacation tastes like a refreshing mix of tea, citrus, pineapple and coconut.
image credits: Kayla May (photography) and Bridget Wald (styling)
