Bartender Made Cocktails – Secret Garden

This article is made in collaboration with the wonderful Lydia Gabrielle Lee, an amazing Bartender from China.

The Cocktail that you are about to make is one of Lydia Gabrielle Lee‘s Signature Fizz Cocktails, which she makes at Meliá Hotels International, in London, England.

Let’s Meet The Bartender!

“I am Lydia from China. I spent my undergraduate degree at the Swiss Hotel Management School, where I learned about wine and spirits. In my first year, I passed the WSET(Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Level 2 and was a champion in the school’s blind Champagne-tasting competition.

After my undergraduate degree, I enrolled in a Masters at Goldsmiths, University of London, to study Luxury Brand Management. I had a six-month gap before going to study in London. Therefore I moved to Nanjing – a very beautiful and historical city along the Yangtze River – to become a sommelier. My colleagues taught me bartending, starting with basic techniques during my work. I practised shaking, stirring and rolling every day. Gradually I became more and more interested in bartending and made great progress. So I moved on to a new cocktail bar and became a bartender. In the summer of 2022, I participated in a bartender competition in China organised by Bacardi and Remy Cointreau company, which greatly improved my mixology skills.

I did not want to give up my passion during my studies in London. So came to work part-time as a bartender in a five-star hotel near Covent Garden, London. Finding a balance between my studies and work is something I have continued to do.” – Lydia Gabrielle Lee

What Was The Inspiration Behind Your Secret Garden Cocktail?

“In terms of cocktails, my initiation was Japanese bartending, a very meticulous and rigorous style. When I came to London, I started learning about English and American bartending and wanted to integrate them with the Japanese style.

I like the use of tea, flowers and fruit in cocktails. For the Secret Garden, I chose the infusion method, infusing one jasmine green tea bag in about 200ml of gin overnight. We then get Jasmine-infused gin. The number of tea bags and the amount of gin can be adjusted to suit individual tastes.” – Lydia Gabrielle Lee

The Recipe For Secret Garden

Ingredients

• Jasmine-Infused Gin
• Elderflower Cordial
• Jasmine Green Tea
• Champagne or Prosecco

How To Make The Secret Garden Cocktail

Place The Following Ingredients Into A Cocktail Shaker (I chose a Japanese Shaker, Because of the small volume of liquor)

• 25ml Jasmine Gin
• 10-15 ml Elderflower Cordial
• 25ml Jasmine Green Tea
• One or two ice cubes in the Champagne Flute
• Shake and Strain/Fine Strain Into Champagne Flute
• Top Up With Prosecco or Champagne
• Then Garnish with Mint or Lemon Twist or Both.

“It is a simple cocktail, but it is a floral, herbaceous drink and much fun. The type of tea can also be adapted to suit your preferences as long as the flavours match to create a new taste. I hope you like it.”

Images belong to Lydia Gabrielle Lee. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.