Not drinking or trying to drink less? A rich tea syrup is a great way to add flavor and body to a soft drink, like in this citrusy Earl Gray Tea and Tonic Mocktail.
Non-ABV (alcohol by volume) cocktails — or “mocktails” as we often call them — are essentially no-alcohol cocktails. The challenge of making an unforgettable one is finding ingredients that can substitute for the complexity of flavor that alcohol offers.
While coffee has recently gained popularity as a mocktail item (see the ubiquitous Coffee and Tonic), tea is also an excellent way to create flavorful, caffeine-enhanced libations! Earl Gray shares similar flavors with tonic water to make a lovely citrus combination, so it’s a useful addition to your home bar if you don’t drink alcohol.
Why tea is great for mocktails
By skipping alcoholic bitters and liqueurs, tea can add needed touches of bitterness and astringency to a non-alcoholic beverage. It’s also another way to add layers of flavor: steeping teabags directly in syrup eliminates the need to add more liquid to your mocktail, which can further dilute your drink.
The trick to a good mocktail
Another thing to consider when making a mocktail is viscosity. Alcohol has a certain weight in a drink and on the tongue. For example, if you drink a fruit juice, you know you are drinking a juice. But when you’re making a juice/spirit blend, while the taste would obviously tell you it’s alcoholic, there’s also a noticeable difference in how it feels in your mouth.
To reiterate that experience to some degree in this mocktail, I created a rich tea syrup for a heavier mouthfeel. Adding body to the drink makes it more sophisticated and feels more like a cocktail than just a simple sweetened drink.
Don’t subject your tea syrup!
We’re all used to the recommended brewing times for tea, which are typically four to five minutes. However, this is where you’re looking for concentrated flavors. A short steeping time results in a weaker flavored syrup.
Don’t worry – the drink won’t be too bitter due to the longer brewing time. If you have loose tea, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of tea depending on how heavily flavored your tea is. When you’re new to tea, start with two bags, and if you want more flavor, steep a third bag.
The best tonic water for tea and tonic
There are currently so many tonic waters on the market that choosing one can seem difficult. Any simple tonic would work and still hit the right sweet and bitter notes due to the quinine.
But I find that with this drink in particular Fever Tree Indian Tonic, with its bitter orange flavor, complements the bergamot perfectly. Avoid the more flavored tonic waters that can compete with the assertive citrus and floral notes of bergamot.
substitutions
If Earl Gray isn’t a flavor you like (or causes migraines like my husband does), many other floral or herbal teas might work. Hibiscus, lemon verbena, or a rooibos tea would add a complementary flavor and work with the tonic. You can also swap out the lemon for lime or grapefruit here.
Storing your Earl Gray syrup
Store this syrup in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for at least a month.
If you have leftover syrup, you can use it to glaze tea cakes or donut holes, or to sweeten a rice pudding.
More mocktails to enjoy
- Pear Ginger Bush
- Wintery spiced orange mocktail
- How to Make Ginger Switchel
- Virgin pomegranate citrus sangria
Earl Gray tea and tonic
If you prefer a less sweet, mild flavored mocktail, use just 2 tea bags in syrup with 4 ounces of tonic water in the mocktail. The more tonic water, the less pronounced the bergamot flavor.
For a stronger mocktail with stronger bitter notes of tea and tonic, use 3 tea bags and 3 ounces of tonic water. If this is too sweet, add an additional 1/2 ounce of tonic water.
ingredients
For the Earl Gray (bergamot) tea syrup
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1 Cup sugar
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1/2 Cup water
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2 to 3 Earl Gray tea bags
For the cocktail
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3/4 ounce Earl Gray (bergamot) tea syrup
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1/2 ounce Freshly squeezed lemon juice
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3 to 4 ounces tonic water (I prefer Indian Tonic by Fever-Tree)
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8th ounces crushed Ice
method
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Make the Earl Gray Tea Syrup:
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and leave for 15 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and allow the syrup to cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to a month.
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Make the mocktail:
Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Pour in 3/4 ounce Earl Gray tea syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, and 3-4 ounces of tonic water. Stir gently to combine and serve.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 86 | calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 22g | carbohydrates |
| 0g | protein |
