# Gin may be your cup of tea



## bill hopkinson (Jan 7, 2015)

I love sloe gin and elderflower gin.

The trouble is that if I make my own sloe gin, even the fruit sugars make it too heavy in sugars.

My lower sugar alternative is to make my own tea gin. A cheap gin and tea bags is all it takes.

Recipe 1. This is my favourite.
Drop decaffeinated earl grey tea bags into cheap gin and leave overnight. The alcohol is good at extracting the flavours cold. 1 or 2 bags per 100ml gin.
You could use any tea, but it must be decaffeinated because when caffeine dissolves in alcohol it is usually cloudy, and although the taste is the same, the milky presentation is not good.
I drink it with soda, not tonic.

Recipe 2. For people who don't like earl grey.
Same as before but use a fruit tea such as fruits of the forest, or bilberry.
Popular with friends.

Recipe 3. If mint is your thing.
Use spearmint rather than regular mint, and vodka is better than gin.
It is not my thing, but some friends now ask for it.


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## KookyCat (Jan 8, 2015)

Ooh sounds nice Bill. I don't drink really but I have a friend who loves gin so I might make her some, she has a dinner party coming up so might be nicer than the standard bottle of wine.  Thanks for the tip


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## megga (Jan 8, 2015)

sounds ok, but can I swap the gin for rum? and swap the tea bag for coke, and instead of leaving it overnight, drink it straight away? lol (I have problems)


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## bill hopkinson (Jan 8, 2015)

megga said:


> sounds ok, but can I swap the gin for rum? and swap the tea bag for coke, and instead of leaving it overnight, drink it straight away? lol (I have problems)



I see the problem. When it is time for a celebration you can factor in a little sugar.
Personally I would never drink coke, too many poisons in it, and it is difficult to forgive the CocaCola company for introducing the masses to cocaine as a regular drink. However the phosphoric acid in coke is good for dissolving tooth fillings if you enjoy visiting dentists.


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## robert@fm (Jan 8, 2015)

Rum and cola is a Cuba Libre.   I make them using Pepsi Max. I also like vodka and cola, which I suppose would be a "Русский Свобода" or "Russky Svoboda" (translation by the Googlefish, transliteration to Latin worked out with the aid of Character Map). I also like a Dark Princess, which is as above but using Tia Maria instead of rum or vodka. (But make sure you get Tia Maria, not a cheap and nasty imitation such as Soiree, or you'll be Soiree you bought it.)

The bit about cocaine is an urban myth; Coke never had any significant amount of cocaine in it, and since the 1930s itr has had none at all.


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