I recently took a trip across the ocean to Kaliningrad, Russia, with a stop in Gdansk, Poland.
If you've never spent time in that part of the world - I highly recommend it. Gdansk is dreamy. It's the most charming city, and I had a smile on my face the entire time I was in that magical place.
It's also where I discovered my new favorite cold weather drink. And I knew I wanted to share the recipe for Winter Tea with all of you, because it was just that delicious that I couldn't stop craving it once I returned home.
One of the fun things about Gdansk is that, even though the weather is similar to the upper midwest, where I'm from, they still eat outside when it's chilly. With heaters blazing, and a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, it's the perfect setting in which to sip a cup of something hot (and just about every restaurant has a variety of yummy teas on their menu) while you gaze at the views of the water (Gdansk is perched on the Baltic Sea, with a river running through the city itself).
(Above and below, Gdansk at night)
(Above, streets of Gdansk)
Our waiter gave us the basic ingredients that make up this tasty brew, and this is the closest version I could come up with. It's pretty spot on, I must say. I hope you love it as much as our crew did!
This recipe is for one cup of tea... just multiply it by as many as you'd like to make! You'll have plenty of leftover grenadine if you're making your own, and can store it for future cups, or make a big batch all at once.
Ingredients:
Earl Gray tea bag
Splash of grenadine (recipe follows)
Cinnamon stick
Whole cloves
Ginger root
Orange slice
Ingredients for grenadine:
2 cups 100% pomegranate juice
2 cups sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
For the tea:
For one cup, fill a pot with approximately 8 ounces of water. Add a small piece of ginger root and bring to a boil. In your mug, place one cinnamon stick, an orange slice with whole cloves inserted (see photo), and a splash of grenadine to taste. Pour water in mug. Steep for five minutes and enjoy!
For the grenadine:
Pour pomegranate juice into a pot. Add sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a full boil. Let cool for around five minutes. Leftover grenadine can be stored for several days in the refrigerator.
Now the only thing I need to figure out is how to recreate the amazing coconut milk pumpkin latte I had at Retro Cafe while in Gdansk. Not too sweet, and just pumpkiny enough. Yum!
In the meantime, I'll be sipping on Winter Tea as often as I have time to make it.
