Cutty Sark Whisky creates 100th birthday cocktails to toast the tea clipper behind its name
Blended whiskies don’t excite scotch fans, in fact they can rather look down their trained noses at them, but they do have a role.
Putting an expensive single malt into a cocktail, or adding anything to it other than a small drop of water to break the meniscus and release the aromas, is to waste it.
A blended whisky is best for mixing, for creating a long cold drink in our all too short summers, and a good blended whisky is very much a product of expertise. Each bottle has to taste the same as the last, and that means the blender has to have a perfect nose to keep that consistency by adjusting the blend.
The blended Scotch whisky Cutty Sark is celebrating 100 years of adventures this Spring with a new partnership that pays tribute to the legendary ship that inspired its name.
Founded in London back in March 1923 at the heart of the prohibition era, Cutty Sark was named after the once fastest ship of its day and which docked in England at the time of the whisky’s invention by London’s Berry Bros & Rudd.
A hundred years on, a new range of cocktails has been created in collaboration with modern-day tea producers The Tea Leaf Company, to toast the whisky’s centenary and the Cutty Sark’s tea-trading past – just in time for National Tea Day on 21st April.
Three tea-infused recipes have been released, each a modern twist on a Cutty Sark classic, made by mixing this light, easy-drinking blended whisky with one of the Tea Leaf Company’s award-winning loose-leaf blends.
Easy for drinkers to mix and enjoy with friends at home, each cocktail offers a delicious and adventurous way to enjoy whisky, for novices and connoisseurs alike.
Gather your friends, get the kettle on, and give them a go!
CuTEA CLIPPER An homage to the Cutty Sark’s maiden voyage where she returned from China with enough tea on board to make 200 million cups! The sweet, orchid-like flavour of the Tea Leaf Co’s NO: 07 TI KUAN YIN CHINESE OOLONG combined with the rich and warm notes of Cutty Sark Classic, makes this the perfect drink to unwind with at the end of a long day Ingredients: 50ml Cutty Sark Whisky 50ml brewed The Tea Leaf Co. Ti Kuan Yin Chinee Oolong Soda Water Lemon Preparation: Stew the tea leaves in a cup of hot water for 3 minutes, leave to cool. Add the whisky and tea to a highball glass filled with ice and stir to combine. Top with soda water and garnish with a lemon wheel. | |
ORANGE OLD FASHIONED An elevated version of the classic Cutty cocktail using The Tea Leaf Co. NO: 05 BLOOD ORANGE INFUSION which is bright and tangy, and packs a bold, citrussy punch that’s as tart as it is sweet. Ingredients: 50ml Cutty Sark Classic 10ml The Tea Leaf Co. Blood Orange Tea Syrup (see method) 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes orange bitters 1 orange peel to garnish Preparation: Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the whisky, Blood Orange Tea syrup and bitters. Stir for 3 minutes. Fill a rocks glass with ice and strain the liquid into the ice-filled glass. Garnish with an orange peel, we like a sail! To make the syrup: Combine equal parts steeped Blood Orange tea and granulated sugar in a pan, and over heat stir until the sugar dissolves. Put in the fridge to chill. Keeps refrigerated for up to 1 month. | |
| SMUGGLER’S SPICE Prohibition era bootlegger Bill McCoy imported Cutty Sark whisky to the people of America. In case of a raid, his speakeasy patrons would keep things hush hush by sipping their hooch out of dainty teacups. 100 years on, we’re serving up mugs of our Smugglers Spice cocktail featuring Tea Leaf Co’s SMUGGLERS SPICE INDIAN CHAI. Ingredients: 50ml Cutty Sark Whisky 20ml fresh lemon juice 20ml Tea Leaf Co. Smugglers Spice Chai syrup Small spoon of honey Ginger beer ½ a pear Preparation: In one half of the cocktail shaker muddle the pear with honey and lemon. Add the whisky and ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice into a mug. Top with ginger beer and garnish with 2 pear slices. To make the syrup: Combine equal parts steeped chai tea and granulated sugar in a pan, and over heat stir until the sugar dissolves. Put in the fridge to chill. Keeps refrigerated for up to 1 month. |
#spiritofadventure
CUTTY SARK : Cutty Sark was first produced in 1923 by the wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd. Named after the eponymous ship, the Cutty Sark, which spent its life sailing around the world and was a key player in the Great Tea Races of the late 1800s, the brand’s sense of adventure continues today and manifests in a whisky that dares to be different. Masterfully blended from the finest single malts and top-quality grain whiskies, our unique light and refreshing, versatile blend that creates great tasting drinks for enjoying in great company.
THE TEA LEAF CO: The Tea Leaf Co. love the colourful history of tea and celebrate some of the characters in their delicious loose-leaf blends. They have partnered with a family tea garden in North East India to ensure that their tea is cultivated with a respect for tradition and people.