Somebody Feed Phil. Copenhagen, Denmark, 2018. One of the
owners of Balderdash shared that some
of the first soda jerks in the US were unemployed bartenders that prohibition
kicked to the curb.
It was that bit of industry history that inspired the bar’s
dessert-based boozy creations. For me, that snippet instilled even more pride
in my decision to stop drinking. A good bartender doesn’t need alcohol to
innovate.
So this week, and after 30-something no-fuss drinks, I decided
to be a good bartender.
Toni Tipton-Martin’s
Berry-Spiced Tea isn’t just built with a syrup made of whole fruit (instead of fruit
juice) but there’s also a recipe for tricked out ice cubes.
Berry-Spiced Tea by ToniTipton-Martin
- Orange peoke tea
- Blackberry syrup: sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, cloves, cinnamon, water, blackberries
- Lemon juice
- Blackberry-mint ice cubes: lemon juice, sugar, water, blackberries, mint leaves
Equipment: saucepan, zester, potato
masher, strainer, ice cube trays, container (for tea)
Me: Before the ice cubes melted,
I tasted more spice than berry. It wasn’t too sweet, and I’m not sure I’d
want it sweeter. A summer tea drink for sure. I loved the variety of textures and
heightened sweetness after the ice cubes melted, but the tea and spice were
definitely in the background flavorwise.
GJ: Smelled like tea in an herbal
way. I tasted it, the spice, and the fruit. There was a very slight tang but
not overwhelmingly so. Very refreshing. Agitating the ice cubes made it like a
slushy that gave me fruitier and tangier punch of flavor. Sipping in with the
solid cubes was a nice start, but I wouldn’t have experienced the whole drink
without the slushy transformation.
Another Round? Yes.
Daily. Please, and thank you.