cold emerald punch

1 oz Cachaça (Cuca Fresca unaged)
1 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1 1/2 oz Green Tea (cooled)
1/2 oz Sugar
3/8 oz Lemon Juice
1/8 oz Pineapple Juice

Stir sugar with tea until dissolved. Add rest of ingredients and ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass or cocktail glass.

Last week, the Mixoloseum's Thursday Drink Night theme was "Thinking of Summer." For an idea, I considered using cooled tea of some sort as a refreshing base. Going through my memory banks for a style, I was reminded of the Cold Ruby Punch that I made from Jerry Thomas' Bartender's Guide and felt that this delicious drink could easily be lightened up a bit for the warmer months. Instead of the heavy and wintery port, I thought that Lillet or Cocchi Americano would provide a lighter wine choice. Moreover, instead of the overwhelmingly flavorful Batavia Arrack, I switched spirits to cachaça. With all of the yellow and green ingredients, the punch looked less ruby and more emerald, so I kept the jewel theme and modified the original's name.
The punch possessed a sweet grassy nose from the cachaça and tea. The grassiness continued on in the sip with dry lemon, pineapple, and tea notes on the swallow. As the drink warmed up, the balance got a little sweeter which might not be so bad on a hot day. The overall result was something rather smooth and quaffable even without an oppressive July or August heat; indeed, Andrea commented that it was "a dangerous drink" for she felt she could drink a few of these. Luckily, the punch is not all that boozy so perhaps it would not be so wrong to do so.