As I get older, the want for my favourite classic high alcohol cocktails, hangovers, and general sluggish demeanour post-celebration have diminished. Don’t get me wrong. The taste of a bitter and citrusy Negroni or the grainy simplicity of an old fashioned is still in my mind.

Since trying a version of this cocktail at a bar that was recommended to me by a colleague, I’ve grown to love plum wine highballs. Plum wine is a liqueur that’s already low in alcohol, and when diluting with tea, is a refreshing beverage without the need for electrolytes the next morning. I’ve concocted a version that you can enjoy in your backyard, your front yard, your condo patio, indoors on a rainy day, or whenever and wherever you see fit, and using only two ingredients. I give you the Big Dark Highball. Da Wu Ye, literally translating to “Big Dark Leaf” has a gingery, oak sweetness begging to blend with stone fruit.

Big Dark Highball Recipe:

2 oz Plum Wine (Gekkeikan or Choya are brands I use)
4 oz Da Wu Ye Dancong Oolong Tea, Brewed and refrigerated**

In a highball glass, fill glass with ice. Add Plum wine and tea over ice. Stir. Enjoy!

**You can try this as a sparkling beverage by putting cold tea into your water carbonating machine if you prefer sparkling cocktails.