Darjeeling tea, apricot, lime, salt & vodka — Copra SF
Darjeeling tea (from the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, 87 tea estates, 'the Champagne of teas') is the most geographically specific ingredient on Copra's cocktail menu. Its first flush (spring harvest) has a distinctive muscatel grape-like aroma — light, floral, with notes of flowers and peach. This cocktail uses that muscatel character as the bridge between the tea and the apricot: both have stone-fruit aromas, creating a seamless connection. Salt (a bartender's secret weapon) amplifies every other flavour. Seedlip Spice adds complexity without alcohol. The name is a joke about India's own complicated relationship with imported luxury ('Bling') — heard through the lens of Darjeeling's history as a colonial construction.
Darjeeling first flush tea has the most delicate, muscatel character — second flush is darker and more tannic. Cold-brew infusion (vs hot) gives a cleaner, less astringent result. Coffee filter straining removes all fine tea particles for a crystal-clear drink. Seedlip Spice 94 adds warmth and botanical depth without alcohol — omit if unavailable and adjust with an extra 5ml simple syrup.
Use gin instead of vodka for a more botanical, juniper-forward expression.
A Pacific Heights gem where Indian flavours meet California produce. Copra's bar programme is built on house-made infusions and seasonal ingredients — jaggery, kokum, dried mango, fresh turmeric — interpreted through a California craft cocktail lens. The result is a drinks menu that feels simultaneously rooted in the subcontinent and completely native to San Francisco.
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