The Calico Tea is a modern cocktail that was created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee and was first published in their book The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails: 50 Creative Recipes for Combining Beer & Booze. The recipe mixes a base of tart apply brandy and barleywine ale, the strongest type of beer that has a distinct malty flavor, with sweet citrus, a unique sage black tea syrup, and aromatic bitters.
Add barleywine ale, apple brandy, lemon juice, sage black tea syrup, and bitters to a shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Add fresh cracked ice to a lowball glass.
Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with sage leaves.