Tea-Quila Highball
This drink is a specialty of James Meehan of PDT (Please Don't Tell) in New York City. If you don't have lemon verbena locally, it is widely available in teabags and online.
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4 oz. hot lemon verbena tea
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1/4 oz. agave nectar
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2 oz. blanco tequila
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1/2 oz. St-Germain elderflower liqueur
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1 lemon zest spiral, for garnish
Tip:
To make lemon verbena tea: use 1/2 cup fresh or dried lemon
verbena leaves (12 to 15) or 2 teabags. Steep in 1 cup boiling water for
3 to 5 minutes. Strain.
Combine the tea and the agave nectar and set aside to cool. When cool, combine all of the ingredients except the garnish in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, stir for 10 seconds, and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with the lemon spiral.
To make a lemon zest spiral: remove a 4-inch by 1/4-inch strip of zest
from a lemon and wrap it around a cocktail stirrer, holding for 10
seconds. Slide the curl off the stirrer and add to your cocktail as
garnish.
Photo: Lara Hata