Steady State: A Citrusy, Floral Gin Cocktail With Earl Grey Tea
Winter’s drab color palette is brightening, melodic birdsongs are filling the air, and days are lengthening past the dinner hour. Even my chickens are welcoming spring’s arrival and are thankfully laying eggs again on a regular basis. That brings us to the star ingredient of this cocktail: an egg white. Its addition in this recipe takes a refreshing, citrusy gin sour and transforms it into an ethereal, dreamy experience with a luxurious consistency.
This gin-based cocktail is an aromatic, textural celebration of spring’s arrival. An Earl Grey tea-infused gin dials up complementary tannins and brings out the spirit’s citrus tones, while a lavender honey syrup adds a rich, floral note. Although the eye-catching botanical garnishes are not necessarily meant to be consumed, they do add a decidedly fun crunch and offer olfactory clues to the flavor profile of the cocktail, encouraging the drinker to slow down and savor.
STEADY STATE
1 1/2 ounces Earl Grey-infused gin (like Peach Street Distillers’ citrusy, juniper-forward Jackelope Gin)
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 ounce lavender honey syrup
1/2 ounce Italicus Bergamot Liqueur
1 egg white
Loose-leaf tea, lavender buds or lemon zest, for garnish
1. Prepare the Lavender Honey Syrup and Earl Grey-Infused Gin at least 30 minutes before making the cocktail recipe. See recipes below.
2. In a mixing tin, combine the gin, lemon juice, lavender-honey syrup, Italicus Bergamot Liqueur and egg white.
3. Dry shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
4. Add ice, shake for another 15 seconds and double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
5. Garnish with loose-leaf tea, lavender buds and lemon zest.
LAVENDER HONEY SYRUP
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 heaping tsp dried lavender buds
1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and heat to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring along the way.
2. Remove the pan from heat and let the lavender fully steep until the mixture reaches room temperature.
3. Strain the solids and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
EARL GREY-INFUSED GIN
8 ounces gin
4 tsp loose-leaf Earl Grey tea or four tea bags (like The Spice & Tea Exchange’s Earl Grey Creme Tea)
1. Pour gin into a sealable glass jar and add the Earl Grey tea.
2. Shake well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
3. Taste for balance. You don’t want to over-steep and create an overly tannic infusion.
4. Strain and store at room temperature indefinitely.
HELPFUL COCKTAIL TOOLS + TECHNIQUES
Hawthorne Strainer
A Hawthorne strainer is the most popular kind of strainer and the one most-often used in making cocktails. Stainless steel coils cover the strainer plate, mostly preventing large pieces of fruit or ice from passing into cocktails. This strainer easily fits in any mixing tin or pint glass.
Fine-Mesh Strainer
You most likely already have a fine-mesh strainer or tea strainer in your kitchen. It allows you to strain your finished cocktail, leaving behind any ice shards, pulp or pieces of fruit, seeds or herbs. A fine-mesh strainer is used in this recipe to strain the ice, when held underneath the Hawthorne strainer.
Double-Strain
This clarification technique involves straining a cocktail twice, using both of the strainers listed above, resulting in a particulate-free, smooth drink. After a cocktail is shaken, it is strained with a Hawthorne strainer directly through a fine-mesh strainer that is held over a cocktail glass. This technique is used when clarity and texture are desired.
Dry Shake
A dry shake is performed when ingredient integration is desired without the dilution of ice. Most often, it is done with egg white cocktails, when extra time is needed to mix and aerate the ingredients, without watering down the cocktail with ice. After a dry shake, ice is added, and a second shake is done to chill the drink for serving.
Originally published in the spring 2026 issue of Spoke+Blossom.