If you love your gin but also partial to a cheeky cup of tea then we have something for you.
Silent Pool Gin have teamed up with Rare Tea Company to produce a bespoke tea blend, inspired by its botanicals.
Henrietta Lovell – aka Rare Tea Lady – has expertly blended the unique tea that elevates the romantic botanicals of Silent Pool Gin and can be enjoyed in a variety of hot and cold serves. Available to purchase alongside a bottle of Silent Pool Gin, this limited-edition, versatile tea is a must-have addition to any cocktail, and/or tea cabinet.
Henrietta was briefed to create a bespoke tea that took its cues from the 24 botanicals found in Silent Pool Gin. Chamomile flowers from a 14th Century botanical garden in Cornwall have been blended with rare Croatian blossoms to form a soft, grassy base; these gentle floral notes are layered with Mediterranean lemon verbena and to accentuate the bright kefir lime leaves of the gin, herbaceous citrus is introduced through the use of sweet lemon grass from Sri Lanka; finally, subtle grassy flavours are highlighted through the addition of the precious Yunnan White Silver Tip which gives the tea its soft, silky texture.
The delicate buds of the Yunnan White Silver Tip are harvested for only five days a year at the start of Spring making it a rare and highly sought-after tea. Henrietta was ‘challenged’ to create a tea that could be served both hot and cold on its own, in a warm and chilled cocktail serve and also be used to infuse Silent Pool Gin; something that is incredibly difficult and rare to achieve. Using her exceptional blending skills, Henrietta was able to overcome the challenge, meticulously selecting the different elements and blending them to achieve the sublimely elegant, fresh and pure tea that highlights the subtle nuances of Silent Pool Gin:
Hot tea infusion
- Add 2 grams (one teaspoon) tea to 150ml boiling water and infuse for 60 seconds. For a sweeter cup, use water at 90 degrees and infuse for 90 seconds
- Ensure all the water is poured from the leaves after it has infused, to stop the tea becoming bitter. The same leaves can then be used to create two more delicious infusions
- Add 25ml Silent Pool Gin for a beautiful hot toddy
Ice-tea cold extraction
- Pour 1 litre of cold water over 6 grams of tea
- Refrigerate in a sealed container for 8 hours (or overnight) and strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter
- Serve on its own over ice or use in place of tonic water in a G&T
- Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days
Silent Pool Gin infusion
- Pour 100ml Silent Pool Gin over 2 grams tea
- Infuse for 5 minutes and strain carefully
- Stir over ice to make a perfect Martini Silent Pool Gin Rare Tea cocktail
- Make the Silent Pool Gin Rare Tea Cold Infusion (above) overnight then carbonate in a SodaStream
- Combine with 50ml Silent Pool Gin
- Pour into a highball glass and garnish with a grapefruit twist
- Add a teaspoon of honey to taste (optional)
The limited edition Silent Pool Gin Rare Tea is available to purchase in a bespoke gift pack alongside a bottle of Silent Pool Gin via www.31dover.com Priced at £47.95.