Taylors Sweet Rhubarb Tea (and a Rhubarb Mar-TEA-ni)

Monday’s here again – sorry guys – but to help ease you into the week I have something non alcoholic for you.. (Don’t worry, there’s a cocktail involved later)

Have you been keeping up with all of Laura’s ‘Monday Morning Mug’ posts? Well I’ve got just the thing to go with a lovely mug, and its something a little more Monday orientated; tea!

Browsing down the tea and coffee aisle in Waitrose last week, I discovered a selection of fancy looking teas made by Taylors of Harrogate. In collaboration with Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens, they’ve created varieties such as spiced apple, lemongrass & ginger, blackberry & elderflower, but what I was most intrigued by was ‘Sweet Rhubarb’.

For a start, it comes in a very attractive dusty pink box, which, when opened, reveals a vivid green lining; a simple but effective touch. It states: “We’re completely smitten with the tangy-sweet flavour of natural rhubarb, so we’ve captured it in a cup. It’s partnered with two ingredients that work in perfect harmony – the refreshing sharpness of apple and the peppy zing of blackberry leaf – to make a wonderfully vibrant infusion.” Smelling the box in store, even though each teabag is individually wrapped, you get exactly that; a hit of sweet rhubarb and custard along with a lingering tart apple aroma.

The problem I often get with fruit teas is that they smell amazing, but then, as soon as the boiling water hits the teabag, it all turns sour – in scent, flavour, and my now disappointed mood. So how did Taylors do?

I really want to tell you that I loved it – and it definitely was a whole load better than most of the other fruit teas I’ve tried – but the taste still didn’t quite deliver. It just felt a bit like a nondescript fruit tea; a little hint of rhubarb, which got stronger once you’d swallowed, but not strong enough for my liking. This is just my personal taste though; a lot of people bloody love these types of teas. So if this includes you, then go and grab some from Waitrose or Tesco and let us know what you think.

Having paid £2.99 for a box of 20 teabags that I’m not 100% sure about, I became a woman on a mission, determined use them in a drink that I can actually enjoy.. This is where the booze comes in.. A Rhubarb Mar-TEA-ni. By making a small amount of strong, sweet tea and mixing it with some classic martini ingredients, you get a stunning summery drink (all be it a bit girly and pink). The sugar stops the tea from tasting bitter whilst the lemon enhances the flavour of the rhubarb. The vodka and vermouth then bring it all together to make an easy sipping, not-too-strong, cocktail. Try it! You could experiment with other flavoured teabags too.

Rhubarb Mar-TEA-ni (serves 2)

You’ll need

• 1 Taylors Sweet Rhubarb Teabag
• 100ml boiling water
• 35g sugar
• 60ml vodka
• 40ml dry vermouth
• ½ juice of a lemon (or ¼ if you’d like it less sharp)
• A handful of ice

Mix it

1. Steep the teabag in the water in a measuring jug for 4 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then remove the teabag. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Put some ice into a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, vermouth, lemon juice and the chilled tea syrup.
3. Shake and serve in your favourite glasses.