Velvet Meridian

01

What you’ll need

• 240 ml freshly boiled water
• 2 plain rooibos tea bags, about 4 g total, containing only rooibos
• 150 g fresh blueberries, washed, plus 6 washed blueberries for garnish
• 4 small fresh tarragon sprigs, about 2 g total, washed, plus 2 small tips for garnish
• 20 ml pure agave syrup, with no honey or added flavours
• 20 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/32 teaspoon fine salt (a very small pinch)
• 250 g ice cubes, for rolling
• 2 large clear ice spheres, for serving

02

Mix the drink

1. Steep the two rooibos bags in 240 ml freshly boiled water for 6 minutes. Remove the bags without squeezing. Add the four tarragon sprigs to the hot tea, cover and steep for 4 minutes, then remove the sprigs.
2. Mash the 150 g blueberries thoroughly in a bowl with a fork or muddler. Stir in the agave syrup, lemon juice and salt until evenly mixed.
3. Pour the warm rooibos infusion over the mashed blueberries and stir. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof jug, pressing gently to extract juice while retaining skins and most pulp. Discard the strained solids.
4. Cool the base for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, until thoroughly cold. Chill two short faceted stemless tumblers at the same time.
5. Put the 250 g rolling ice into one of two sturdy wide-mouth mixing jugs. Add the chilled drink base. With the jugs close together over a sink, pour the liquid gently back and forth four times, holding the ice back with a strainer when it leaves its jug. Do not shake or pour from a height: the aim is a still, lightly diluted drink, not foam.
6. Fine-strain evenly into the two prepared glasses over fresh ice spheres. Use only plain rooibos, fresh fruit and herbs, pure agave and water; do not add alcoholic bitters, tinctures, fermented mixers or honey.