Johnnie Walker Blue Oolong Tea pours a toast to the Mid-Autumn Festival

The annual Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates brightness moon coinciding with the harvest. For this year’s celebration, the Johnnie Walker Blue Oolong Tea cocktail, created by Jason Yu, raises a glass in thanks as everyone gatherings to mark the holiday.

Over the years, Johnnie Walker has used its offerings to create a tie to Chinese culture. From specialty bottles celebrating the Chinese Zodiac Signs to the Mid-Autunm Festival, the brand has found ways to blend its legendary imagery with another culture.

For this year’s celebration, the spirit is joining forces with Kitsby to create a tea and mooncake set. The piece showcases the elegance and ritual that tea offers. It sets the tone for mindfulness, encourages a moment of pause, and creates a connection long after the liquid is drunk.

The mooncake is traditionally served during the festival. While the designs can vary, the round-shaped treat symbolizes completeness and reunion.

In addition to the mooncake, lotus root is a traditional food served during the festival. The pieces of lotus root sit on the table as the family drinks tea and waits for the moon to rise. It is an example how food and culture bring people together.

For this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Johnnie Walker takes a different twist on the tea serving. While the specially curated box has all the elements to create a memorable evening, the cocktail is a twist on the classic Old Fashion.

Created by Jason Yu, the Johnnie Blue Oolong Tea brings together many of the festival’s symbols. From the lotus root garnish to the tea cordial, the cocktail is modern interpretation of the traditions.

The Johnnie Blue Oolong Tea

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Blue Label
• 0.5 oz Oolong Tea Cordial*
• 2 Dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Preparation:

• Build ingredients into an ice-filled rocks glass, stir and garnish with a dried lotus root.
• *Oolong Tea Cordial Method: Start with boiling water, then make a cup of tea! The ratio is 200ml water to 5g oolong (loose leaf tea), or alternatively 1 green tea bag to 200 ml water. Steep tea for 10 minutes (about 5 minutes for tea bags), occasionally stirring. Remove the tea, add 100g of pure clover honey and 1g (1/4 tspn) of sea salt. Finally, stir the mix to combine all ingredients.

Pairing this cocktail with a mooncake is lovely choice because it brings balance. The tea is flavorful yet has a subtly that invites a moment to ponder. When served with the rich mooncake, it cuts through either the salted egg or the red bean paste. Overall, it is worthy of the annual celebration.

While this curated idea is a guide for the celebration, the concept invites drinkers to try their own hand creating a cocktail that builds on the concepts from the festival. Whether it is the radiance from the moon illuminating the night sky or the connections that are the foundation of a well-lived life, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy another glass.