QUEEN MOTHER’S LITTLE HELPER

The tisane base of this drink incorporates juniper and citrus, classic gin botanicals, into a warm, tealike brew. Add London dry gin and Angostura bitters and you have a delicate drink rich with citrus and spice.

Serves: 2 For the tisane:

■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) juniper berries

■ 1 whole star anise

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) whole coriander seeds

■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) allspice berries

■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) white peppercorns

■ 4 cups (1 L) water

■ Peel of 1 grapefruit, stripped with a peeler, avoiding the white pith

■ Peel of 1 navel orange, stripped with a peeler, avoiding the white pith

■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) granulated sugar

For the drinks:

■ 1 cup (250 ml) juniper tisane

■ 3 oz (85 ml) dry gin

■ 4 dashes Angostura bitters

■ 2 twists orange peel, for garnish

1. For the juniper tisane: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast the juniper berries, star anise, coriander, allspice and peppercorns until fragrant (the juniper berries will look oily).

2. Add the water, then the citrus peels, twisting them over the surface of the water to express the oils.

3. Add the sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to infuse, about 5 minutes. 4. Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.

5. Strain out (and discard) the solids and reserve the liquid. The yield is about 3 3/4 cups (940 ml).

6. For the drinks: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the tisane to a simmer.

7. Add the gin and let rewarm for 30 seconds, then divide equally between two teacups. Add 2 dashes bitters to each drink, then garnish with the orange peel — twisted over the surface of each drink, then dropped in — stir and serve. Note: You can omit the gin for a non-alcoholic sip, simply serving the tisane with the bitters. The tisane can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.