Gin & Tea Garden Party

On a warm summer’s day what could be a better way to while away a few hours with girlfriends than getting together over afternoon tea?  The answer….. add gin!

After visiting Silent Pool Distillery one evening last week and stocking up on the essentials, I invited a few gin loving girlfriends over from work on Saturday and hosted a Gin & Tea garden party.

In the morning once the horses were done and the dogs walked, my friend Jill and I went out for an impromptu coffee and mooch around one of our local villages.  We were having such a lovely time chatting over our coffee and sitting outside watching the world (or Cranleigh go by), that time soon passed and I found I was once again running behind schedule and had to do a mad dash to collect the finger sandwiches I had ordered online from M & S, and pick up the last remaining bits for the gathering before heading home to do a quick clean of the house and set up for our gin & tea party.

While I was setting up the dogs were never far from my side watching me with hopeful eyes at seeing all the food coming out.

Obviously the gin choice was Silent Pool, and I decided to serve this in tea cups with paper straws.

One of the non attending girlfriends who was away in Italy at the time described the set up somewhat like the mad hatters tea party!

To accompany a gin I use the number one best tonic water, Fever Tree.

Aside from sliced orange and lemon to enhance the G&T’s I also put out a few additions to enhance drinks further.

These additions included a bottle of Silent Pool liquid mist garnish along with some of my homemade elderflower cordial. 

Once set up it was time to pour a gin and tonic (out of tea cups in a special glass), for myself and wait for our guests to arrive.

Bunter found the service a little slow.

The party was not exclusively for the girls as their pooches were also invited.

The garden soon filled up with 5 dogs, Billy Bunter, Shiva, Coco the Cockerpoo and Cooper and Jenson the Jackawawa’s, having never met before they all got on well and tired each other out.

So that the dogs did not feel at all left out by seeing all our delicious food, I baked them a batch of Pilchards in tomato sauce pup cakes.  Safe to say they went down very well with the four legged friends.

After we were all full on carbs I went to the freezer to retrieve the G&T ice lollies I had made earlier in the day, these were most refreshing.

The afternoon was a real hit and enjoyed by all.

Love from Emma & the Dals xxx