Celebrate the Royal Birth with PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail (Recipe)

Raise a PG Tipple to the Royal Baby!

To celebrate the birth of the latest heir apparent to the British throne, PG tips has developed a new take on the traditional cuppa to wet the baby’s head – a ‘royal-tea cup’ cocktail.

Working with Rebecca Seal, drinks expert from Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, the Fruit Cup style cocktail takes inspiration straight from the royal wedding day to combine details from the pair’s nuptials with quintessentially English ingredients, resulting in a rich and refreshing PG tipple packed full of Britishness and served in dainty tea cups.

PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail
PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail

Ingredients in a PG tips ‘royal-tea cup’ include:

  • Strawberries – as a major crop in Cambridgeshire, these summery English berries are perfect to include as part of a royal celebration
  • Rose petals – two new rose bushes were named after the happy couple and planted in the grounds of Windsor Castle and sugar roses were used to decorate their eight-tier wedding cake
  • Sparkling wine – English sparkling wine was served to guests at the bride and groom’s wedding breakfast
  • PG tips The Rich One – like red wine, all tea contains tannins, which gives drinks a wonderfully rich flavour.  We’ve used PG tips The Rich One for its full-bodied taste
  • Gin – a quintessentially British ingredient and, according to Rebecca Seal, the botanicals used to make gin (like juniper) perfectly complement the flavours in tea
  • Cucumber – from a dainty finger sandwich at traditional afternoon tea
  • Apple juice –  from the fruit trees of the great British orchards
  • Elderflower – from the hedgerows that line England’s green and pleasant land
  • Mint – from English country gardens

A ‘royal-tea cup’ cocktail can be made either with or without alcohol and is perfect for a sunny garden party, to have with afternoon tea or as an aperitif before a barbecue.

PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail
PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail

PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail Recipe:

To enjoy a very British punch in celebration of a potential future king, the below recipe makes 10-12 teacups or 6-8 longer drinks –

Ingredients:

  • 6 British strawberries with the core removed
  • A handful of fresh mint leaves, ripped
  • 100ml freshly boiled water
  • 1 PG tips The Rich One teabag
  • 75g sugar
  • 50ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
  • ½ an unwaxed lemon’s rind, peeled and chopped
  • 15ml elderflower cordial
  • 100ml English apple juice
  • 200-400ml gin
  • 350ml soda water or sparkling water
  • 350ml English sparkling wine (or cava)

For non-alcoholic punch:

Omit the gin and sparkling wine and use 150ml apple juice and 550ml soda water instead

Garnish:

  • Lots of fresh ice in big chunks
  • Slices of cucumber skin
  • Rose petals
  • Slices of strawberries

Method:

Step 1: In a pestle and mortar, roughly crush the strawberries and mint leaves together

Crush Strawberries and Mint
Crush Strawberries and Mint

Step 2: Mix the crushed mint and strawberries with the hot water, PG tips The Rich One teabag, sugar, lemon juice and rind then stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Leave to stand for 8-10 minutes, then strain, reserving the syrup

Cocktail Mixture with PG tips The Rich One teabag
Cocktail Mixture with PG tips The Rich One teabag

Step 3: In a large bowl or jug, mix the syrup with the elderflower, apple juice and gin to taste. (The mix can be chilled for a few hours at this point until ready to serve.)

Step 4: When ready to serve, add large blocks of ice, the soda water and sparkling wine. Stir gently to combine

Step 5: To serve, line teacups with a sliver of cucumber skin, shaved using a potato peeler, then fill the cup with fresh ice. Serve using a ladle

Step 6: Garnish with a red rose petal and a slice of strawberry in the shape of a heart

 PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail
PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail

If you prefer, you can have  PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail in a cup or wine glass. We loved  PG tips Royal-tea Cup Cocktail, it was fruity and refreshing. We celebrated the royal birth in style!

Drink responsibly – visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for more

 The products were provided free of charge for review purposes. However the opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.