Red Rooibos Tulip Cocktail

Every time I go home for the holidays, I come back obsessed with something food-related. My mom is an amazing cook, and she is also incredibly healthy without ever making you feel like you’re being healthy. Every visit, I eat three times as much cheese as I normally would, and every time I step on a scale after the holidays I find I’m five pounds lighter. It’s a small miracle in my books.

So I just got home and realized that I can’t live without rooibos tea. I know that this is not revolutionary; I’ve been drinking it for years, but not much, and the stuff that was sitting in my cupboards was incredibly stale and flavorless. The newer package that was at my mom’s reminded me of just how much flavor is packed into this stuff.

It’s a soft and round flavor, full of vanilla and raspberry notes, and it’s also packed with antioxidants. I knew in an instant that I needed to know what happened to it when I put it in vodka.

So, after a long flight, that’s exactly what I did. The result was wonderful and quick. Normally I leave my booze infusions for at least a couple of days, sometimes even months to let the flavors meld into something, but with rooibos it only takes a few minutes for the action to take place.

You’re left with a rich and complex booze that doesn’t need much to be remarkable.

• 1 tsp Rooibos Tea
• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 tsp Honey
• ¼ Lemon, juiced
• Bubbles (cava, champagne, brut, don’t use anything to expensive here)

Mix the tea with the vodka and let sit for 10 minutes.

Once the tea has steeped into the vodka, pour it into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Mix in the honey and lemon and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Strain into a champagne flute and top with the bubbles.

Garnish with a lemon twist.