Hojicha Old Fashioned

If you haven't already noticed, I love a good tea. And, I love incorporating tea in cocktails. Another tea in my tea rotation is Hōjicha. Hōjicha is a unique Japanese green tea that is roasted over charcoal, which gives it a nice nutty, caramel-like flavor. When brewed, it has a cool, kind of reddish hue to it. It's pretty low in caffeine compared to other green teas so it's nice to drink on a chilly evening. Or in a cocktail.

To make this Old Fashioned riff, I subbed in Japanese whisky for the bourbon and created a syrup using Hōjicha tea.

The Recipe

• 2 oz Japanese Whiskey
• 1 tsp Hōjicha syrup
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir with a bar spoon until the drink is chilled. Once chilled, strain into a rock glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange peel.