We came across the One Day in Islay cocktail by Gunther Strobl via The Botanist, and immediately found ourselves intoxicated with the idea of a nettle tea cocktail. We’re somewhat obsessed with tea-based cocktails thanks to Rudolph’s Bar & Tea, which is located at the Freehand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
Of course, a Swiss twist on a tea cocktail inspired by the flora of Islay, Scotland had us at hello, as the saying goes. And when it comes to understanding the terroir of Islay via Gin, there’s really only one way to go: The Botanist.
The Botanist is known for the 22 botanicals used in the Gin that are foraged from Islay. In total, the Gin used 31 botanicals. The full list is as follows: angelica root, apple mint, birch leaves, bog myrtle leaves, cassia bark, chamomile, cinnamon bark, coriander seed, creeping thistle flowers, elder flowers, gorse flowers, heather flowers, hawthorn flowers, juniper berries, lady’s bedstraw flowers, lemon balm, lemon peel, liquorice root, meadow sweet, orange peel, oris root, peppermint leaves, mugwort leaves, red clover flowers, tansy, thyme leaves, water mint leaves, white clover, wood sage leaves.
“A gin spin on The Pickle cocktail by Gunther Strobl of Campari Bar Basel, using some common wild plants of the time of year – nettle, sorrel, wild garlic,” writes Jane Carswell about Strobl’s innovative adult beverage.
Ingredients:
- 50 ml The Botanist Gin
- 25 ml Nettle Tea
- 10ml Shrub
- Secret ingredient – 1 barspoon of Basler Leckerli Liquer from Gunther’s native Switzerland
Mix in jug with ice. Serve with burnt Douglas fir.
Caswell also added, “Gunther used common stinging nettles in a tea and made a shrub out of wild garlic and sorrel for acidity.”
“He said he used the gin straight as we had worked so hard making it so good already… And it was an honour to be here to spend time with us all. Yes yes Gunther, you can come again…”