Earl Grey Martini

This mar-tea-ni is here to challenge the espresso martini as the caffeinated cocktail du jour. Bartender extraordinare Audrey Saunders first paved the way with her ever-popular Earl Grey-tini at Pegu Club in New York City. And unlike the aforementioned coffee cocktail, you don’t need to buy any special-flavored liqueurs or pull shots of espresso to make one. Plain vodka is ideal for extracting flavor without heat. Simply steep tea bags in room-temperature vodka to infuse the spirit with notes of citrusy, bittersweet bergamot and black tea in only five minutes. The resulting vodka pairs nicely with dry vermouth and fresh lemon for a floral, frothy cocktail ready for happy hour—or even tea time.

Shaking your cocktail with an egg white creates a creamy, rich texture that mimics the foamy smoothness of a London Fog (an Earl Grey tea latte). It also tones down the sharpness of the drink, mellowing out the vodka’s burn to create a chiller sip. We promise it’s delicious. But for those opposed to the idea of drinking raw egg whites, this cocktail is still wonderful without it.