Grove & Tonic
Jeremy LeBlanche, Queensyard, New York
Excerpted from Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking by Elva Ramirez. Copyright 2021.
Rose layers on top of rosemary; peach amplifies grapefruit: Jeremy Le Blanche’s Grove & Tonic is bursting summer freshness. Infusing Seedlip with peach herbal tea introduces several expressive aromas, while pink-tinted ice cubes make this a head-turning cocktail.
Makes 1 drink
- 3 ounces Seedlip Grove42 distilled non-alcoholic spirit
- 2 herbal peach tea bags
- Rose Ice Cubes (recipe follows), for serving
- Chilled London Essence Co. Grapefruit & Rosemary Tonic Water, for topping
- 1 mint sprig, for garnish
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the Seedlip with the tea bags and let steep for 1 hour. Remove and discard the tea bags. Pour the liquid into a chilled 12-ounce highball glass and fill the glass with the rose ice cubes.Top with the tonic water and garnish with the mint sprig.
Notes: A happy accident occurred while testing this drink. I discovered that many peach teas, such as Bigelow’s Perfect peach tea, feature flowers, such as hibiscus, which will impact the color of your infusion. A pink hue won’t hurt your drink, and in this case, the pink liquid plus rose-infused ice cubes play off each other. If you’d prefer a clear, more “gin”-like appearance, scan the ingredients in your peach tea for those that will change the color of the tea.
This drink is garnished with mint, but there are many varieties of mint, including flowering mint, that can jazz up your drinks for parties. Look for mint varieties at specialty stores and chefs-garden.com.
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Rose Ice Cubes
Yield varies on ice cube mold
- 3 cups cold spring water
- 5 grams (1/4 cup) dried rose petals (just petals, not buds)
In a medium bowl, combine the water with the rose petals and let steep overnight. Strain the rose water through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher; discard the rose petals. Pour into ice cube molds and freeze until completely solid, at least 3 hours.
Note: Using larger molds will result in cubes that last longer in drinks.