We are really quite spoiled these days when it comes to craft cocktails. There is so much information available to the curious mixologist, so many books and blogs and forums. There are hundreds of bars mixing up impeccable drinks every day, from old classics to incredibly creative new recipes. It’s hard to imagine a time when bars didn’t have maraschino liqueur and Green Chartreuse on their shelves, or when ordering a Negroni or Old Fashioned would earn you a blank stare. But it wasn’t very long ago at all, and we have the hard work and creative genius of a small group of pioneering mixologists to thank for it.
One of these early luminaries was Audrey Saunders, who opened Pegu Club in 2005. The SoHo bar became a Manhattan landmark, and the birthplace of many drinks that are downright legendary: the Gin-Gin Mule, the Old Cuban, the Little Italy, the Fitty Fitty Martini… these drinks were so ubiquitous when I began learning about cocktails that I just assumed they’d been around forever.
Pegu Club sadly closed its doors for good near the start of the Covid pandemic. It was a sad way for such a special bar to go out, without a farewell party or a chance for patrons to say goodbye. But at least its spirit lives on in drinks like this one: the Earl Grey MarTEAni.
Many of Saunders’ new classics are efforts to make old classics – especially gin cocktails, which weren’t so much in vogue at the time – appeal to modern drinkers. The Earl Grey MarTEAni is a cheeky and effective way to get gin (and eggwhites, at that) into anyone’s glass. Its beautiful presentation, pun-tastic name, and appealing flavor have made it one of Pegu Club’s most beloved recipes. It follows a method that Saunders seems to use often, taking a simple classic like a gin sour and adding something that makes it special – in this case, an infusion of Earl Grey tea. A little change with a huge impact.
Earl Grey MarTEAni
1.5 oz. Earl Grey tea-infused gin*
1 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1 egg white
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice until chilled. To properly froth the egg white, I recommend a reverse dry shake: strain the cocktail, dump the ice, and return it to the shaker to shake for another 30 seconds. Fine strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist or dried lemon slice.
*To infuse gin, combine 2 tbsp. loose leaf Earl Grey tea with 12 ounces London Dry gin in a bottle or jar. Cap it and shake to combine. Let it steep at room temperature for two hours, then fine strain. Alternatively, 2 teabags should also work. Don’t steep the gin too long – 2 hours is just enough.
Recipe adapted from Punch.