Hendrick’s Gin: 'Gold Rush Tea' cocktail to celebrate Australia Day (26 Jan 2012)

http://www.hendricksgin.com

Floral tones of elderflower

Thanks to Amanda Porter from Weber Shandwick for organising a bottle of Hendrick's Gin and small bottles of St Germain's Elderflower Liqueur to help me try and make the Gold Rush Tea cocktail created for Australia Day by Jamie Terrell (Hendrick's Gin Ambassador, Australia). I'm a big fan of Hendrick's Gin & Tonic with a slice of cucumber so was interested to try this cocktail to compare. I searched high and low for mango tea in Coles, Woolworths and David Jones Food Hall but could only find a tea with mango in T2 Tea. The helpful Jennifer in the Westfield Bondi Junction store provided a little sample of the Sencha Mango while I bought a kids tea of the Magic Mango ($8) to also try. The Sencha Mango had a nice scent on the nose although I wasn't so keen on the Magic Mango which smelt quite overly sweet and overpowering. Taste wise I also preferred the more natural tasting Sencha Mango tea so would recommend this over the Magic Mango even though it wasn't as strong in the actual mango taste.

Mixing the ingredients is relatively easy as long as you prepare the tea in advance to allow it to cool down. I learnt very quickly it's not particularly fun trying to measure and pour hot tea — lesson learnt. My first attempt was shaking all the ingredients and then pouring it into a cup with ice. The St-Germain had quite a strong taste and the mix could have done with more mango for my liking. On it's own St-Germain tasted rather like a sweetish port. I also tried shaking the ice with the ingredients and then pouring into a glass which provided a more distinctive mango flavour which I preferred and thought helped round all the flavours together. I sort of felt the cocktail still needed something to help balance the strength of the elderflower so I then mixed everything with some fresh panama passionfruit which I thought added a nice note to compliment the elderflower. I think the recipe would probably work with a rose flavoured tea with maybe fresh strawberries instead of mango perhaps. For me the cocktail has a bit of an acquired taste and I still prefer the classic Hendrick's Gin & Tonic which works so well.

'Gold Rush Tea' recipe

Ingredients
30ml Hendrick’s Gin
2 one-inch cubes of ripe mango
50ml pre-made Mango Tea
15ml St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Method
Shake all ingredients together and finely strain. Serve in a teacup or suitable glass drinking vessel with ice. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: An interesting alternative to using Hendrick's Gin if you're a mango lover

CONS: Make sure you prepare the tea in advance so it has time to cool down before using, Mango tea isn't readily available

MUST TRY: Discovering other Hendrick's cocktails and making the St-Germain Cocktail with champagne

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St-Germain and Hendrick's Gin

The St-Germain Cocktail I might have to try as well

Gold Rush Tea recipe notes

T2 Sencha Mango (my preference) and T2 Magic Mango

T2 Sencha Mango

T2 Magic Mango ($8)

T2 Magic Mango and T2 Sencha Mango (my preference)

Ingredients to make a Gold Rush Tea cocktail

Cutting up the mango

Gold Rush Tea cocktail served in Hendrick's Gin tea cup

Gold Rush Tea cocktail served in cocktail glass

Gold Rush Tea cocktail shaken with ice then poured

Gold Rush Tea cocktail shaken with ice and fresh passionfruit