Behind Blue Eyes pairs well with Asian pork dishes. Photo courtesy of Laowei
Recipe courtesy of Alex Black, managing partner, Laowai.
Pair with: Asian-flavoured pork dishes.
• 2 oz Lapsang Bourbon (see recipe below)
• 1 oz Salted Asian Pear Syrup (see recipe below)
• 4 drops Apothecary Mystic Caravan Bitters
• Absinthe mist
• Garnish: dehydrated pear slice, lapsang tea smoke
Add Lapsang Bourbon, syrup and bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a pourable container (Laowai uses a cast-iron tea pot). Mist a rocks glass with absinthe, then add a king ice cube and slice of dehydrated pear. Fill with lapsang tea smoke. Pour cocktail into glass tableside. Serves 1.
Lapsang Bourbon
• 1 bottle (750 mL) Evan Williams Bib Bourbon
• 15 g Lapsang Souchong tea leaves
Mix tea and bourbon together in a clean, glass 1 L container. Let sit sealed at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain out tea and return liquid to bottle.
Salted Asian Pear Syrup
• 1.5 cups fresh Asian pear juice
• 1.5 cups organic cane sugar
• 1.75 oz gomme syrup
• 2.5 tsp Maldon sea salt
Add all ingredients to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a light boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Place in glass container and store in fridge. Makes about 1.5 cups.
