A couple of weeks ago, I shared a drink called the Army & Navy, that I shamelessly stole from my buddy @bitterbotwin on instagram. It is a super lovely drink and I encourage you all to make it. It reminded me of a wonderfully refreshing coconut lemonade with a kick, and I like that. The more I thought about it and the more of them I enjoyed, the more I wanted to experiment with this drink. Laura was super supportive, because she loved the original and every time I made a variation, she got to enjoy a “control” drink. I kept playing around with different ideas and this time it paid off. So join me as we stand and make this cheekily named tribute combining land and sea forces, Her Majesty’s Royal Marine.

We are going to start out just like Joe’s original, grab your tins and pop in 2 ounces of gin, the straight Corsair works very well, but coconut fat washing it will make this one even better. You can check the other post for how to do that. Add 3/4 of an ounce of orgeat and 3/4 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice. We are going to switch up here and add 2 drops of 18-21 Earl Grey bitters and you are ready to shake over ice. But not just any ice. This is the big variation in this drink and wow does it make a difference. Brew some strong Early Grey Tea and freeze it into cubes. Take 5 or 6 of these “iced tea” cubes, see what I did there, and toss them in your shaker. Shake this one hard for too long, really break up those cubes and get some dilution going on, double strain and pour into a porcelain tea cup, not the good tasteful china, but the fancy stuff mom bought just for thanksgiving. I mean, it’s good china and all, but it is kinda tacky in it’s own adorable way. I mean, if we’re honest, this should probably be in a chilled coupe, but I thought teacup cocktails would be cute and they should be a thing, so that’s what I am doing. Anyway, if you are still reading, garnish with a lemon twist and serve.

This is so good, still refreshing, still with that interesting coconut lemonade thing going on. Man, that earl grey really changes this drink. It is subtle, I mean you don’t get hit in the face with tea, but it is definitely present and it really changes how this one hits the palate. They are both excellent and great additions to your summertime cocktail repertoire. Just pretend you developed some culture when everyone starts wondering why you are always drinking tea from the fine china during your Zoom meetings. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.