Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar (for syrup)
  • 1 cup (237 ml) Filtered Water (for syrup)
  • 1 cup (150 g) Fresh Blackberries (or quality frozen, plus extra for garnish)
  • 2 standard Lapsang Souchong Tea Bags
  • 2 fl oz (60 ml) Premium Vodka (per serving)
  • 0.75 fl oz (22 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice (strained, per serving)
  • 0.75 fl oz (22 ml) Smoked Blackberry Syrup (per serving)
  • 1/8 tsp (0.5 g) Food-Grade Activated Charcoal Powder (per serving)
  • 1 standard Egg White (from a large egg, optional, per serving)
  • Ice (for shaking)
  • Small cubes of Dry Ice (Food Grade, optional, for theatrics)

Instructions:

  1. Combine the water, sugar, and blackberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.
  2. Gently mash the blackberries against the side of the pot to release their juice and colour. Simmer for 3 minutes.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Submerge the two Lapsang Souchong tea bags into the hot syrup mixture. Allow to steep for exactly 5 minutes (over-steeping makes it bitter).
  4. Remove the tea bags. Pour the entire mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or muslin cloth, pressing gently on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids. Transfer syrup to a sterilised container and chill completely in the refrigerator (approx. 45 minutes).
  5. In the cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, fresh lemon juice, Smoked Blackberry Syrup, and the activated charcoal powder.
  6. If using egg white for foam, secure the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds without ice. This emulsifies the egg white and creates a stable foam.
  7. Add a generous handful of fresh ice to the shaker. Secure the lid and shake hard until the outside of the shaker is thoroughly frosted (about 15-20 seconds). This chills and slightly dilutes the cocktail.
  8. Double strain the mixture (using the shaker's strainer and a fine-mesh strainer) into the chilled Coupe or Martini glass. The result should be a uniform, velvety, deep-black liquid.
  9. Skewer 2-3 fresh blackberries and rest them over the rim of the glass.
  10. For theatrics, use tongs to carefully place a very small, pellet-sized piece of food-grade dry ice directly into the liquid immediately before serving. Crucial Safety Note: Instruct guests NEVER to consume the dry ice. It must fully evaporate before the drink is finished.