Happy Hour: The Good Kind of Tea Party

by Diana Vilibert

Guuuys. The Royal Wedding is almost upon us. Are you taking the day off to make 300 little cucumber sandwiches and a black pudding sculpture of Kate Middleton’s face for your viewing party? Did you quit your job altogether in anticipation?

I’ll be honest, I don’t care much for the unions of famous folk (except for that time I cried when I found out Kevin Richardson from the Backstreet Boys was getting married), but I’m not above using the wedding as an excuse to knock back a few drinks.

The following, the GMTeatime at GMT Tavern, is a new favorite. The Brit-inspired pub opened its doors in New York’s Greenwich Village a month ago and, fashionably late, I checked it out the other day. Delightfully, the GMTeatime does taste just like a cup of tea with lemon, which is great for Royal Wedding theme parties and for mornings. Even my beer-only friend loved it, so I had to pass the easy recipe along to you — no fighting for bar space with college students necessary.

GMTeatime
2 ounces Absolut Wild Tea
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
 .75 ounce honey syrup (you can make this by mixing equal parts honey and hot water until the honey dissolves)

Add all ingredients in a mixing glass, and shake with ice. Fine-strain into a cocktail coupe (it’s the one that looks like a bowl-shaped martini glass — pictured), and garnish with lemon zest. Serve “tea” with an exaggerated wink even if you’re completely alone in your apartment. Start signing your emails with “cheers” until your friends tell you to knock it off.

Previously: The Hangover Cure.

Diana Vilibert is a freelance drinker and writer living in Brooklyn.