Rock Candy Bouddah Bleu Brandy Sidecar

I found a quantity of filled tea tins that were assumed to be empty, and thus stored in back of a cabinet. Realizing I was missing some teas since our move almost a year ago, I decided to search, and indeed, they were in the once-thought-empty tins.

One of the teas which I never liked, but appealed to me on some level was Mariages & Freres Bouddah Bleu -- a green tea with blue cornflower leaves. Having successfully infused Gin with Earl Grey, I tried to think of what I could do with this tea. 

It occurred to me that I also had an inferior bottle of French Bordeaux "De Ville" VSOP Brandy. I was duped by the elegant label.  I should have known better to buy an $11 brandy. I opened the bottle, took a whiff, and decided the tea could work. I also had a tin half full of rock candy crystals, newly rediscovered. A plan hatched.

In half a bottle of the Brandy, I put 4 tablespoons of the Rock Candy sugar. And then 4 tablespoons of the Bouddah Bleu tea, and let it steep for 1 and 1/2 hours.

From it, I made a Sidecar:

2 oz "Rock Candy Bouddah Bleu" Brandy

3/4 oz lemon juice

3/4 oz triple sec

Shaken, and poured into a couple champagne saucer. No sugar rim, or simple syrup.

It was a fairly successful experiment. a) I made a decent infusion, b) from that, a decent cocktail.

Would I ever make these again? No, they weren't that palatable. The Sidecar was more than passable, but reminded me of a St. Joseph's Baby aspirin.

But I was proud to know that I am beginning to have an understanding of what works together, whether I like it or not.