Commonly believed to have been brought home to England by troops returning from Amsterdam during the Eighty Years war, the British demand for “Dutch Courage” rose with the government promotion of unlicensed distilleries and high taxation of imported spirits. The “Gin Craze” would peak during the early half of the 18th century before Parliament passed multiple acts to curb the rampant consumption.
The recipe below is from Warren “The Cocktail Whisper” Bobrow’s excellent new book, Apothecary Cocktails: Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today from Fair Winds Press. It is a “must buy” for every cocktail enthusiast or history geek on your holiday gift giving list! With the cases of sniffles rising and flu show season in full swing, we’re featuring this calming restorative that will allow you to hibernate away some of the more unpleasant bits of the season…
Herbal Sleep Punch
Ingredients
- 1 tea bag each chamomile tea, lavender tea, and fennel tea
- Juice of 1 lime
- Honey simple syrup (1 c boiling water + 1 c honey, mixed and dissolved), to taste
- 3 oz (90 ml) botanical gin Ice
Instructions
- Infuse the teabags in 5 oz. (150 ml) hot water for at least an hour.
- When cool, pack a tall glass with ice.
- Pour the tea over the ice; add the lime juice, and sweeten to taste with the honey simple syrup.
- Finally, add the gin, and mix gently.
