Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Rum Cocktails

Tea for Two

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Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 05/8/21
tea for two cocktail served in two ornate punch glasses, each garnished with a lemon half-wheel and peach slice

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Tea for Two is an original cocktail from Amy Wong, who created it while working as the lead bartender at King Tide Fish & Shell in Portland, Oregon. It’s her take on the Philadelphia Fish House Punch, a classic drink containing rum, cognac and peach brandy.

Wong begins her punch in a similar fashion, with Jamaican rum, cognac and peach schnapps. The schnapps adds sweetness and fruitiness to the mixture. “Peach schnapps pairs best with fruit-forward spirits,” she says. “Vodkas won’t fight the flavors of [it], but it’s not as dimensioned and wouldn’t be my first choice.”

The punch also calls for brewed black tea (unlike water, it’s a great way to add dilution without sacrificing flavor), plus lemon juice and lemon oleo saccharum. The latter sounds intimidating but is actually quite easy to make. You simply muddle lemon peels with sugar and let the combination sit, so the peel’s citrus oils leach into the sugar. After a few hours, you’re left with a rich and lemony sweetener.

The unique Tea for Two is loaded with deep, complex flavors courtesy of the rum and cognac, but the peach and lemon add brightness while the black tea lends dry tannins and earthy notes. Make this punch for your next party, and don’t be surprised when your guests keep coming back for more.

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons, peeled

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 2 cups Jamaican rum

  • 1 cup cognac

  • 1/4 cup peach schnapps

  • 2 cups brewed black tea

  • 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • Garnish: lemon wheels

  • Garnish: peach slices

Steps

Serves 12 6-oz pours.

  1. Peel and juice the lemons, setting aside the juice.

  2. Add the peels to the sugar, stir to combine and let macerate for several hours to form an oleo saccharum, then remove and discard the peels.

  3. In a large punch bowl, combine the oleo saccharum, rum, cognac, peach schnapps, black tea and lemon juice. Stir briefly to combine.

  4. Add a large ice block, then garnish with thin lemon wheels and peach slices.