An easy picnic cocktail.

When thinking about the true nature of Jasmine, one thing is certain, it is delicate in both taste and aroma. The way this Jasmine green tea shines in this cocktail is with its floral nuance. When first bringing the cocktail glass to your lips, take a pause. Slowly inhale. You should notice the Jasmine right away, just behind the notes of lemon. Then, when taking your first sip, let the cocktail slide to the back of the palate for a moment. The taste of lemon will linger at the tip of your tongue, the bourbon will sit in the middle, and the Jasmine will fall towards the back of the palate giving this refreshing drink a fragrant and soft after taste. Jasmine Pearls brings ultimate sophistication to this popular whiskey drink. This cocktail is perfect for sultry summer date nights, and intimate dinner parties with friends. It can also be modified as a *mocktail* by simply removing the bourbon from the recipe to enjoy on-the-go.

JASMINE - A SOPHISTICATED, FRAGRANT TEA.

The whiskey sour is a traditional cocktail widely sold at just about any bar across the states. The taste of bourbon, sweet simple syrup, and some lemon juice make this simple cocktail an American staple. Throughout the summer, we’ve been enjoying quite a few flavorful treats in the Whistling Kettle tea catalog as we create these weekly recipes. We have even gone ahead and created this week’s recipe in a large mason jar for ease. A tea that has piqued our interest this summer is our Jasmine Pearl green tea. We recently had a request on how to best make Jasmine Pearl green tea into an iced tea - and we got curious. The name gives away the conundrum. This green tea is special due to its leaves being condensed into small, pearl-shaped balls. It is truly unique in both shape, aroma and flavor.

JASMINE PEARLS

Throw a few pearls in your teapot and watch the magic as they unfurl. We use only the top two leaves and bud from early spring growth. These delicate, hand-rolled leaves brew a pale green infusion with the legendary jasmine aroma and taste. Our Jasmine Pearls green tea is pleasantly floral without being overpowering. Sip this refined infusion and enjoy the finer things in life.

What you will need:

32oz wide mouth mason jar
1 The Steepster, a large paper tea bag or coffee filter
14 Jasmine green tea pearls
32oz filtered water
1 large lemon
2-4 sprigs of spearmint or cat mint
1-2 tablespoons of honey
4oz of bourbon
2 Dublin glasses

JASMINE WHISKEY SOUR

Makes 2-4 servings

Boil 32oz of water.
Fill The Steepster, paper tea bag, or coffee filter with 14 Jasmine green tea pearls.
Place filter or tea bag into mouth of mason jar. Pour 24oz of boiled water into mason jar. Steep the tea for 5 minutes.
Remove the filter and dispose of the used tea.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey into the brewed tea and stir.
Chop mint leaves and add to tea.
Cut lemon in half. Thinly slice a round from one half of the lemon by and place on top of the brewed tea. Save at least one half of the cut lemon.
Lightly place lid over mason jar and let the tea rest to bring the temperature to room temperature. Be careful during this process as the jar is very hot. Make sure to not close the lid.
Once the jar is at room temperature, close the lid to the jar and place the jar in the fridge to cool for 2-4 hours.
When the tea has cooled, take the tea out of the fridge.
Pour 4oz of bourbon into the chilled tea mixture and stir.
Cut the saved half of your lemon in half again. Squeeze one of the newly cut halves (1/4 of lemon total) into tea mixture and stir.
Optional: Add 1 large ice cube into a Dublin glass to enjoy right away or continue chilling the cocktail to bring with you on-the-go!