Cream Earl Grey Vanilla Gin Martini
Cream Earl Grey-infused gin shaken with lemon, vanilla syrup, and a whisper of dry vermouth—a perfumed, bergamot-and-vanilla cocktail that drinks like silk.
Gin is built from botanicals; Cream Earl Grey is bergamot, black tea, and vanilla. When you infuse one into the other, the boundaries dissolve—juniper and bergamot recognize each other immediately, and the vanilla rounds the gin's sharp citrus into something that drinks like perfume.
Infuse for ninety minutes. Cream Earl Grey is more delicate than regular Earl Grey because of the vanilla pieces—two hours is too long, the vanilla compounds turn slightly bitter. Ninety minutes is the sweet spot: the gin turns pale gold, smells like a flower shop, and tastes like a London afternoon.
A small amount of dry vermouth keeps this drink in martini territory rather than letting it slip into a sour. Shake with lemon juice and a touch of vanilla syrup (which doubles down on the tea's cream side), then strain into a chilled coupe. The egg white is optional but makes the drink look like a cloud.
For a mocktail version, replace the gin with a 1:1 mix of strong cold-brewed Cream Earl Grey and tonic water. Shake with lemon juice, vanilla syrup, and a generous splash of bergamot bitters (or a strip of orange peel expressed over the top). Same perfume, same silk, no alcohol—and honestly almost indistinguishable from the original.
Ingredients
- 60 ml dry gin (London Dry style)
- 1 Cream Earl Grey tea bag
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml vanilla syrup
- 5 ml dry vermouth
- 1 egg white (optional)
- Lemon twist for garnish
- Ice cubes
How to make it
- 1Infuse gin: add tea bag to gin in a sealed jar for 90 minutes. Remove bag and squeeze gently.
- 2Add infused gin, lemon juice, vanilla syrup, dry vermouth, and egg white (if using) to a cocktail shaker.
- 3Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 15 seconds to build a creamy texture.
- 4Add ice and shake again for 15 seconds until well chilled.
- 5Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express a lemon twist over the surface and drop it in. Serve immediately.
Want to learn more about Cream Earl Grey? Visit its full profile.
Back to Cream Earl GreyYou might also like
Cream Earl Grey London Fog
The canonical London Fog—Cream Earl Grey steeped strong, steamed milk on top, vanilla syrup tying it together. The world's most comforting tea latte.
Iced Vanilla Bergamot Latte
Cold-brewed Cream Earl Grey poured over ice with oat milk and a swirl of vanilla syrup—the iced summer twin of the London Fog.