The Earl Grey MarTEAni

The Earl Grey MarTEAni is destined to be a modern classic.  A simple but very creative twist on an old classic, this is one of my favorite drinks.  My wife and I drink a lot of tea, and my tea of choice is earl grey, made strong and served with milk and sugar.  I am a fan of pairing earl grey with almost anything, so it is no surprise that I like this cocktail as much as I do.

The Earl Grey MarTEAni
(created by Audrey Saunders of New York’s Pegu Club)
1 1/2 oz Earl Grey infused Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
garnish with lemon twist

A couple of notes on this drink.
First, don’t be freaked out by the egg white.  I know many people who won’t even taste this drink because they have an unfounded fear of raw eggs.  However, the chance of a raw egg containing salmonella is about one in twenty thousand.  Just wash your eggs.  When mixed up with citrus and alcohol, the chance of any possible bacteria living is pretty small, especially in a large enough amount to make anyone sick.  When mixing up many classic cocktails, eggs are an important part of the drink, adding both texture and volume.  It’s just not the same without the egg.

Secondly, I often use this drink to explain the “taste” of astringency to people.   Everyone is familiar with the four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.  However, not everyone is familiar with the other two, referred to as astringency and umami.  I describe astringency as the “drying out” taste that is provided by the essence of bergamot.

Vintage Cocktails #17: The Pegu Club Cocktail

The Pegu Club was created in the 1920’s at the Pegu Club in Rangoon.  At the time, the Pegu Club was a gentleman’s club in the British controlled province of Burma.  Back then, most bars featured a house cocktail, and unlike many of them, the Pegu Club gained fame outside of its creator’s walls, and has become increasingly popular even today.

As the drink presented in Vintage Spirits differs from most of the other classic recipes that I have seen, I will present both, although the one I put together for myself stayed true to the printing in the book.  The main difference between the two versions is the type of orange liqueur used.  While the classic recipe seems to call for Orange Curacao, the Vintage Spirits recipe calls for Cointreau, a proprietary triple sec.

The Pegu Club (Original Recipe?)
2 oz London Dry Gin
3/4 oz Orange Curacao
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters

The Pegu Club (Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails)
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

I think that these two drinks differ enough in proportions and ingredients to have two different flavor profiles.  Which is better?  I suppose that is a matter of personal preference.  I have only tried the one version as of yet, so let me know if you have an opinion.