We enlisted the talented ladies behind Public Provisions, a cocktail development and bartending duo based in Portland, to create three complex cocktails incorporating our signature iced teas in honor of National Iced Tea Day. Whether you gravitate towards strong, bitter and stirred or something light and refreshing, these cocktails are sure to inspire creativity and step up your cocktail game. "This drink is layered with complex flavors and evolves with every sip," says Melaney Schmidt of Public Provisions. "As the ice cube melts, more tannin from the Exceptional Iced Tea is incorporated into the drink."
Exceptional Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1.75 oz Exceptional Iced Tea-infused whiskey*
- 1/4 oz pear brandy
- 1/2 oz fig leaf syrup**
- 1 dash angostura bitters
- 10 drops of vanilla bitters
- Exceptional Iced Tea iced cubes***
Directions
- Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir for 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into rocks glass over an exceptional iced tea ice cube.
- Garnish with a small, fresh fig leaf.
*Exceptional Iced Tea-infused whiskey
Directions
- Add 1 Exceptional Iced Tea sachet to 750 ml of whiskey for 20 minutes, strain and then rebottle.
**Fig Leaf Simple Syrup
directions
- Combine 1 quart of water and 4 cups of sugar into a saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved then remove from heat.
- Add 20 medium fig leaves to the warm simple syrup, place in refrigerator and let steep overnight.
- Strain and discard the leaves.
- Bottle, date and refrigerate.
***Exceptional Iced Tea Ice Cubes
Directions
- Bring spring or freshly drawn filtered water to a boil (212°F) and pour 2 cups over sachet.
- Steep 5 minutes, discard sachet and top off to one quart with filtered water.Â
- Pour over ice cube tray and freeze until solid.