Peach Clari-tea Recipe

Make simple syrup and steep tea

In a medium saucepan combine 4 cups water and 1 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add 6 tsp loose-leaf black tea in a tea infuser or directly to the syrup. Cover and steep for 8 minutes, then remove the tea leaves (or strain) and return the syrup to the saucepan.

Cook peaches into the syrup

Chop the 3 peeled, pitted peaches into 1/2-inch pieces. Add them to the warm tea-syrup and return to low heat. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until peaches are very soft and the liquid is infused and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to warm (about 25–30 minutes).

Blend and strain fruit

Transfer the peach-tea mixture to a blender and puree until smooth (about 30 seconds). Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. You should have roughly 3 to 3 1/2 cups of peach-tea liquid. Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and adjust sweetness if needed.

Prepare for milk clarification

Warm the strained peach-tea liquid to about 100–110°F (warm but not hot). In a separate vessel gently warm 2 cups whole milk to about 100–110°F as well (do not boil). The similar temperatures help coagulation during clarification.

Combine milk with peach-tea for clarification

Slowly whisk the warm milk into the warm peach-tea liquid in a large bowl. You will notice the milk will begin to curdle as it acidifies the milk proteins and traps solids. Cover and let the mixture sit undisturbed for 30–45 minutes so curds fully form and settle.

Filter the clarified liquid

Line a fine-mesh strainer with several layers of cheesecloth (or a coffee filter) and set over a clean container. Carefully ladle the curdled mixture into the lined strainer. Allow it to drain slowly — do not press — for 2–4 hours or until the liquid runs clear and is free of solids. For maximum clarity, replace the cheesecloth with a fresh layer and filter again. The resulting clear peach-clari-tea base will be about 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

Combine spirits with clarified base

Measure the clarified peach-black tea base (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups). In a large measuring pitcher combine 8 oz Dutch Barn Vodka and 4 oz Shiraume Umeshu. Add 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Pour in the clarified peach-tea liquid and gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust balance: add up to 1 tbsp more lemon if it needs brightness, or a teaspoon of simple syrup if sweeter is desired.

Chill before serving

Refrigerate the combined cocktail mixture for at least 2 hours (preferably 4 hours) so flavors integrate and the drink is thoroughly chilled. Keep refrigerated up to 3 days in a sealed container; shake gently before serving if separation occurs.

Serve

Serve the Peach Clari-Tea over a large ice cube or straight up in a chilled coupe. Pour 3–4 oz per serving. Garnish with a fresh peach slice and a lemon twist. For a fizzy variation, top each 3 oz pour with 1–2 oz club soda and serve in a highball with ice.