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Royal Tea Cocktail

Published: Sep 23, 2019 · Modified: Apr 2, 2020 · This blog uses cookies and may contain ads or affiliate links. See this page for more details · 25 Comments

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tea cocktail in glass with ice and mint

A Royal Tea cocktail, bringing together the British classics of gin and tea into a delicious and refreshing drink. Simply mix togther and serve!

royal iced tea in glass with mint

If you grew up in Canada in the 90s, you will likely remember a Sketch tv show called Royal Canadian Air Farce. It was originally a radio show but eventually came to the TV. Essentially it made fun of political and social events in the country, as well as regional stereotypes (those who know ‘Mike from Canmore’ know what I’m talking about). Plus, they had a brilliant invention of the Chicken Cannon. Again, if you’re Canadian you get it. My English husband does not!

One of the more memorable reoccurring gags dealt with the now-deceased queen mother. The basic premise was she was always tipping over in her chair as a result of a bit too much gin.

Now, of course, gin is back being a trendy drink. It’s quite amazing how many gins’ are around in the shops. Which is no bad thing in my books!

ice tea in glass with ice and mint

So when it came time to come up with a drink for my English afternoon tea menu, I had a choice. Go with the classic options of either tea or champagne, or come up with something a bit new. Taking inspiration from the Queen mum, I combined a couple of British classics into a great iced tea cocktail.

First, we have the tea, and I’ve opted for strong brewed Earl Grey. I love Earl Grey with the bergamot, it feels very British. To this, we add a measure of gin and again have gone a bit traditional with Beefeater gin. To round of the flavour, some fresh lime juice brings the gin and tea together.

The result is a tea cocktail recipe that is fit for the Queen (mum) but also goes great with your afternoon tea sandwiches and scones with cream and jam.

Can I use regular tea in a cocktail?

So there is nothing wrong in trying other teas with this cocktail. However, I would recommend you ensure you brew the tea extra strong and cool before using. This is for two reasons. The first is that hot tea will melt your ice too quickly and overpower the other flavours. Second, if you brew it extra strong, the ice, when it melts won’t dilute the flavour as much.

What type of ice should I use in a cocktail?

While crushed ice looks cool, and does chill your drink down, I don’t like it in my cocktails. This is because the surface area is so high, it melts too quickly and diluted the drink. Instead, I would suggest using a larger ice cube. I’m lucky that my local grocery store has these in the freezer section. However, you can also use a large ice cube tray like this to get the larger cubes. They last longer in your drink, keeping it cold with less dilution.

What can I do if someone doesn’t drink alcohol?

Well, the easiest solution would be to serve them regular tea. If you still want it to be a cocktail, leave the gin out and add a dash more lime juice. You could also look out for an alcohol-free spirit (like Seedlip, which I rather like).

tea cocktail in glass with ice and mint

What pairs well with this Royal Iced Tea cocktail?

Food

  • I’d suggest checking out the full menu for some good ideas!

Music

  • The Classical Kitchen playlist does the trick!

Like this? Try these!

  • English Tea sandwiches
  • Scones with cream and jam
  • Spiked Arnold Palmer – Peanut Butter and Fitness
ice tea in glass with ice and mint

Royal Iced Tea Cocktail

Matt
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 12 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine British
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 10 oz London dry gin Such as Beefeater
  • 2 oz Lime juice
  • 6 Earl Grey Tea bags
  • 3 cups Boiling water
  • 5-6 Mint leaves for garnish
  • 6-8 Large ice cubes

Instructions
 

  • Boil the water and add to the tea bags in a heatproof container. Let it steep for 10min, and then remove the tea bags. Let this concentrated tea cool.
  • Add your cooled tea concentrate to a serving pitcher, add the gin and lime juice. Stir. Place ice into the cups and pour over the mixture. As the tea is extra strong, the ice will dilute it so don't skimp! Garnish with mint leaves.
Keyword cocktail, iced, iced tea, lime, tea

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Comments

  1. angiesrecipes says

    September 24, 2019 at 5:46 am

    What an intriguing combination! I definitely would love to try it.

    Reply
  2. David @ Spiced says

    September 25, 2019 at 12:53 pm

    Well, I’ll be! What an interesting cocktail idea, Matt. I do love Earl Grey, and you’re right that gin is making a serious comeback…however, I never would’ve thought about combining the two. I love it! Also, that show seems pretty funny. I can’t say I’m familiar with it, but I can imagine you had a great time watching old episodes on YouTube!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:53 am

      Yup, way too much time wasted on youtube as a result of this post!

      Reply
  3. Pina @ One Two Culinary Stew says

    September 25, 2019 at 4:21 pm

    I love tea and I love gin… so this is the perfect cocktail. I agree about the ice!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:54 am

      🙂

      Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    September 26, 2019 at 6:51 pm

    This cocktail combines two of my favourite things – tea + gin! Great idea!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:55 am

      Thanks Vanessa, it is a great little drink!

      Reply
  5. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    September 27, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    I didn’t grow up in Canada, so I’ve never heard of this cocktail… or the tv show. 😉 Clearly I have been missing out!! This sounds delicious and like the perfect way to celebrate the weekend! Gorgeous photos!!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:55 am

      Thanks Cheyanne

      Reply
  6. Neil says

    September 30, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    I wonder if your Canadian Sketch tv show, “Royal Canadian Air Farce” was anything like our political British satirical television puppet show “Spitting Image”? I do also remember Spitting Image portraying the late Queen Mother similarly. Ha ha! I’m a big fan of gin Matt and what you’ve done here in mixing it with one of my favourite teas, Earl Grey” sounds intriguing! Lovely and refreshing!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:57 am

      Haha, and I hear Spitting Image is making a comeback!

      Reply
  7. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    September 30, 2019 at 3:04 pm

    I’ve definitely heard of the show, but not the cocktail! Looks and sounds super refreshing, Matt, especially with the addition of mint. I’ll have to give this one a go next cocktail hour 😉 Cheers!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:57 am

      🙂

      Reply
  8. Bernice Hill says

    October 01, 2019 at 10:07 pm

    Mmm! I love cocktails with tea in them, especially when it’s Earl Grey. And yes, I remember the Air Farce!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:57 am

      🙂

      Reply
  9. Leanne says

    October 01, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    I enjoy a good gin cocktail, so I’ll have to give this one a try! I also appreciate some 1990s Canadian TV nostalgia since I grew up in the 90s! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:58 am

      Thanks Leanne!

      Reply
  10. Jessica says

    October 02, 2019 at 4:12 am

    What a delightful cocktail! And the use of tea is just wonderful, cheers!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 6:58 am

      Thanks Jessica!

      Reply
  11. Colleen says

    October 02, 2019 at 6:30 pm

    Royal Canadian Air Farce was a hilarious show. I love this idea for a cocktail, and can’t wait to try it. We have used iced tea with gin, but this one sounds so much better.

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 03, 2019 at 7:00 am

      Thanks Colleen, it is delicious!

      Reply
  12. Alex Bielak says

    October 05, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    I’m a Seelip fan and will be trying this with that. Maybe even tonight:-)

    Reply
    • Matt says

      October 12, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Go for it! Let me know how it tastes!

      Reply
  13. Ros @ ZenHealth says

    November 09, 2019 at 2:45 am

    I love me some Earl grey tea but I never thought of spiking it. Must try this! I wonder if it’ll go well with a good Caribbean rum too… Guess I’ll need to experiment to find out heheh!

    Reply
    • Matt says

      November 09, 2019 at 6:10 pm

      Hmmm, give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

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