On the scale of ultra British—right between the Union Jack and Kate Middleton’s baby—lives this fabulous and refreshing beverage based in the flavours of my personal fave, Earl Grey tea. With just a few simple steps and a limited list of ingredients, you’ll wow your garden party or girls’ night guests with a pitcher of what I have dubbed Earl Grey Tea 2.0.

You’ll Need:

  • 6 Earl Grey tea bags
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • crushed ice
  • 200ml gin or vodka
  • juice of 1.5 lemons

Now what?

  • Boil 200ml of water and steep 6 tea bags for about 5 minutes
  • Remove the tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved
  • Add 300ml of cold water to the tea (mixture should now total 500ml) and allow to cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour. NOTE:Do this in a plastic jug or container that you know will not crack with the mixture of hot and cold (learned this one the hard way)
  • Remove from fridge and add gin/vodka, lemon juice, and ice
  • Serve in glass tea cups or mint julep cups for an extra hint of Britishness

Not a drinker? Skip the alcohol and this drink is a perfectly lovely thirst-quencher on a hot day!

Ali Maldoff is a writer covering all things DIY, lifestyle, and food/drink on her blog Mint Sprinkles.