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On New Year’s Eve, I wanted to celebrate the occasion with a tea-infused cocktail. I thought about making the Lapsang Souchong Old Fashioned recipe I wrote for The Tea Recipe Book, but then I remembered that I had a PeachWood Smoked Black Tea from Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden that I had bought from Yunomi. It worked perfectly! In this post, I’ll be sharing the recipe and instructions for you to make this tasty Smoked Peach Tea Old Fashioned.
This is one of my favorite smoked teas, and the flavors worked perfectly with the Four Roses Bourbon that my husband had picked up. It is inexpensive and easy to get in my area, but you can use whichever whiskey you like. Jason is not usually a fan of my tea-infused concoctions, but he enjoyed it so much that he asked me to whip up another batch immediately. Black walnut bitters complemented the tea element well, but you can also use Angostura or another type of aromatic bitters if you do not have that kind handy.
Tea infuses into alcohol faster than it does water. It only needs to steep for a few hours to get the full flavor. Because of this, you’ll want to avoid letting the leaves brew for too long. That can overextract the bitter components in tea. If you aren’t making the drinks right away, strain out the tea and store the infused liquor in an airtight container. I like to reuse La Fermière jars for things like this. I found lids on Amazon that fit them perfectly.
How to make a Smoked Peach Tea Old Fashioned
Smoked Peach Tea Old Fashioned
A smoky and sweet tea-infused twist on a classic Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden - Peach Wood Smoked Black Tea
- 1 Cup Four Roses Bourbon
- 3 Teaspoons Simple Syrup
- 4 Dashes Black Walnut Bitters
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons of smoked black tea with 1 cup of bourbon in a lidded glass container. Allow to infuse at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Place 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of simple syrup and 2 dashes of black walnut bitters into two rocks glasses.
- Strain the tea leaves from the whiskey, dividing it equally between glasses.
- Add ice to each glass and stir gently to chill.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
Notes
Feel free to substitute other teas and experiment with different flavor combinations.
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If you aren’t a fan of smoked teas, other options that might work well for this type of cocktail are black teas from Assam, Ceylon, and Yunnan. The tasting notes listed for the whiskey you are using can be a good guide for selecting a complementary tea.
I had a bottle of commercial simple syrup, but it is also very easy to make at home. Just bring 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil over medium heat until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Store the mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate to keep it fresh.
The farmer who made this tea, Hiroki Matsumoto, is well known for his experimental smoked teas. I will definitely be giving this another try with some of his other teas I have in my stash. The cacao and sakura wood ones will be interesting to play around with. I just might be adding a few to my cart the next time I order from Yunomi as well.
Have you ever tried infusing whiskey or other liquors with tea? What are your favorite combinations? Let me know how you like my Smoked Peach Tea Old Fashioned if you give this recipe a try!
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