This is part of Destination Dinner Party, featuring impossibly delicious menus from Maine, Portugual, and Thailand. Join us as we eat our way through each dreamy locale.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup Thai black tea leaves with spices, such as ChaTraMue or Pantai
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 recipe Thai tea base
4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk
Ice
1 cup vodka
2 cups chilled sparkling water
4 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
Instructions
Make the Thai tea base:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gently stir in 1/2 cup Thai black tea leaves and let steep for 5 minutes.
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth set over a heatproof bowl; discard the tea leaves. Stir 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into the tea base until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Make the cocktails:
For each cocktail, pour a quarter of the Thai tea base (scant 1/2 cup) into a tall glass. Stir in 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk until dissolved. Fill the glass halfway with ice and stir to combine. Top with 1/4 cup vodka and then 1/2 cup chilled sparkling water for a layered look. Garnish with 1 fresh mint sprig if desired. Stir together before drinking.
