Earl Grey Martini

Here's one I've developed myself. Earl Grey tea is fantastic, and it's an underrated cocktail flavor. By using infused simple syrup and a high-quality gin, you can make an incredible martini like no other.

Ingredients

• Gin (I use Nikkei Coffey Gin for this)

• Earl Grey tea bags

• Granulated sugar

• Water

• Lemon peel

• Recommended: Storage bottles for extra syrup

How to Make

The first step here, which can be done in advance, is to make the Earl Grey simple syrup. To do this, add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a small pot over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling. At that point, add two Earl Grey tea bags and simmer over medium heat for at least 5 minutes (or until the color of the mixture is deep). After 5 minutes, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into glass bottles with an airtight seal and let cool for a few hours in the fridge (ideally overnight).

For the cocktail, add 1.5oz gin (the higher-quality the better), 0.75oz Earl Grey syrup, 0.5oz lemon juice, and shake in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel (express lemon oil over the cocktail before serving).