A TWO-INGREDIENT FAVORITE GETS A INDIAN-SPICED MAKEOVER WITH JUNGLEE!
Simple and easy-to-make drinks for the home bartender are the name of the game at The Tash Mashup. I recognize when we are taking inspo from Indian flavors and adding them to classic cocktails, we often have to add additional ingredients to get the right result. When I am recipe testing, I often like to take a closer look at the classic recipes and see what can be substituted vs. added to ensure we are staying on brand and NOT compromising on flavor.
Enter Junglee. A home-grown brand by fellow brown creatives that wanted to revitalize the delicious flavors they fondly remember growing up into easy-to-drink canned beverages. Staying true to their Indian culture, the flavors are not only delicious but hit home like none other: we're talking Tamarind Margaritas and Green Mango Smash. Mmmm! Better yet, the products are high-quality- using premium spirits!
For this recipe, I used their Indian Spiced Lemonade. It's giving shikanji but with vodka- I know what you are thinking. Where can I get my hands on some? Currently, they are available at retail locations in the NY/NJ area and ship across the country. Be sure to check out their website and follow them on social to stay up to date on how they are not only expanding and growing but also details on how you can support this amazing Indian-American-owned brand!
I was excited to see their brand online when searching as there is truly nothing available like Junglee on the market right now. Like ready-to-drink crafted cocktails with Indian flavors? Those are all of my buzzwords and as a recipe developer focused on creating Indian-inspired drinks - you can imagine how ready I was to get my hands on this product and try it. I take a lot of pride in sourcing and finding YOU the products that you need to make your next party/gathering/get-together a hit AND THIS ONE IS IT!
The word Junglee means free-spirited and is all about embracing your wild side. Picking up The Tash Mashup and going full-in on the blog this year felt a little wild but true to who I am in that what is life without pressing play on your dreams and seeing where it takes you? For that reason and more, it feels only fitting to end the year with a recipe with Junglee!
While shikanji is usually drunk in the hot summer months, we switched out regular schmegular black tea for Earl Grey which makes this Indian Spiced Arnold Palmer such a good sipper ANY TIME of the year. Low-ABV cocktails have been a huge hit when hosting this year and I plan to share a lot more in 2024. This one is especially lovely if you are partaking in damp January.
The flavors of bergamot and orange peel contrast with the spices used in Junglee's Spiced Lemonade. I love the floral notes in Earl Grey and they play so well with the punchy notes of lemon and roasted cumin in our mixer. This recipe couldn't be any easier and perfect for hosting as we are using equal parts (1:1 ratio) of both the canned Spiced Lemonade and brewed Earl Grey tea. I am so excited for you and your friends and family to try this one. Yes, friends and family included because this one I promise is best enjoyed in the company of your loved ones!
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is sponsored by Junglee.
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INGREDIENTS
1 tsp or 1 sachet of Earl Grey tea (I used Twinings)
1/2 cup of boiling water
4 oz of Junglee Indian Spiced Lemonade, chilled
1-2 tablespoons of superfine white sugar, optional but highly recommended for the rim
Mint for garnish, optional
Fresh or dehydrated lemon slice for garnish, optional
DIRECTIONSÂ
First, brew your tea by combining 1 tsp or 1 sachet of Early Grey tea with 1/2 cup of boiling water. Follow package instructions for brew time, but 3-5 minutes should do it. Then, let your tea cool to room temperature or directly place it in the fridge to speed up the process.
Ensure your tea is chilled before assembling. Then, when ready to serve - all you have to do is add equal parts: 4 oz of brewed and chilled earl grey tea with 4 oz of Junglee Indian Spiced Lemonade.
I highly recommend rimming the glass with superfine sugar. It tapers the sour notes of the lemonade as well as cuts the bittersweet flavor profile of the Earl Grey tea. To do so, just rim your glass with lemon juice and then place the glass (rim-down) on a shallow plate that has sugar in it!
While totally optional, since shikanji is usually served with fresh mint leaves - I opted to garnish the drink with mint and a slice of lemon.
~ Serves 1
Notes
It's important to use the measurements shared above to brew your tea, as we want to impart a really strong flavor. Typically, you would double the amount of water (8 oz) when using either 1 tsp or 1 sachet of tea. Note: the hotter the water = the stronger the tea flavor.
I typically like to brew my tea in advance so that when guests arrive, it is completely chilled and ready to serve when they walk in! Since we are not shaking this beverage over ice, make sure that the ingredients are chilled before use. This is important because we don't want to dilute the drink after by adding ice once poured. I also typically love to serve these in a coupe glass!
For the sugar on the rim, I found that sugarfine sugar works best in this recipe. You can use regular sugar, but I would just recommend coating less of the glass- half is best. Using a different sugar is fine but remember that a light brown sugar or coconut sugar will give you a different flavor each sip!