I’m not one for tradition but there are certain aspects of my British culture and heritage that are hard to shake off; I love queuing. I can’t get enough of it. Especially at the Post Office.

Complaining about the weather comes easily to me, especially when my weekend barbecue is rained off… and I have to stand over the coals with an umbrella to ensure my sausages are just burned enough that they sit perfectly on the edge of being inedible.

And enjoying afternoon tea. As that clock strikes 4pm, I enjoy nothing more than a cucumber sandwich (with the crusts removed, obviously) and a Cherry Bakewell. All washed down with a fine china cup of Earl Grey. With lemon of course. Actually, I prefer my tea sans citron but it’s important to reinforce the pretension of being cultured.

But this presents a problem. I’m a wine merchant. At 4pm, it’s traditional in my industry to enjoy something a little stronger than Earl Grey. And I don’t mean Lapsang Souchong.

But the issue is, it’s difficult to combine afternoon tea with a glass of wine. Sauvignon Blanc is too sharp for the cakes… and I don’t like the variety anyway. Malbec is too hefty for the tea and Earl Grey’s delicate, bergamot-infused flavours fade against the wine’s intense dark fruits.

So how can I solve this afternoon tea versus alcohol conundrum?

The answer is frighteningly simple: Afternoon Tea themed cocktails!

54% of consumers actively enjoy the process of looking for new cocktails*. Cocktails have been on the up for years now, and strangely enough lockdown has helped their cause.

A staggering 52% of British households now own a cocktail maker. I don’t have the stats on what percentage of homes own a copy of the 1980s Tom Cruise vehicle Cocktail, but I imagine it to be much lower.

As lockdown has ended and we are all heading out to eat and drink, the thirst generated at home will relocate into even more of our favourite bars and restaurants.

It’s easy to throw together a simple and functional cocktail menu. The old favourites like an Espresso Martini or Mojito will sell easily. But conversely they could be seen as playing it safe. 79% of drinkers consider variety to be important or very important**.

Looking to the influence of afternoon tea, it’s easy to add not only variety, but something completely different to your cocktail menu. With this in mind, we have crafted 4 afternoon tea inspired cocktails that are simple to make and easy to deliver.

 

 

From those crustless cucumber sandwiches to an Eton Mess, here are 4 British summer time afternoon tea inspired cocktails, or Afternoon Teatails:

 

The cucumber martini

• 25ml Elderflower liqueur
• 25ml Absolut Vodka
• Muddled cucumber
• 25ml lime juice
• Dash of gomme
• Garnish fresh cucumber

 

A messy chase

• 50ml Chase GB gin
• Hefty teaspoon of strawberry jam
• 25ml cream
• Egg white
• 12.5ml lemon juice
• Crushed meringue around the rim and strawberry garnish
• Served in a martini glass (you could even do a mini shot glass of Eton Mess on the side)

 

Bakewell sour

• 25ml Amaretto
• 25ml Courvoisier
• 12.5ml Maraschino cherry juice
• 25ml lemon juice
• Dash of Angostura bitters
• Garnish with lemon wheel and cherry

 

Strawberries and cream

• 25ml Absolut vodka
• 25ml Strawberry Bols
• 50ml half and half
• Garnish with fresh strawberry

 

So there you have it. A way of offering your thirsty customers some alternative cocktails that include all the flavours of afternoon tea. The perfect drink with which to while away the afternoon and complain about the weather.

 

To explore our wide range of spirits and cocktail mixers head to the Unity webpage here.