Up your afternoon tea game with perfect gin serves from Boodles

For Afternoon Tea Week (August 10^th-16^th) the unflappable Boodles Butler, who is the ultimate expert in all things traditional British etiquette, guides you through the perfect gin tea-pot serves using his favourite spirit.

Boodles Gin itself is a modern take on an English tradition, so whether you’re lunching out or creating your own version of afternoon tea at home, Mr. Boodles suggests swapping out the usual tea and fizz for some refreshing gin cocktails.

These cocktails are made in tea-pots using the range of Boodles British Gin, including the Rhubarb & Strawberry and Mulberry variants and are an essential component to the perfect high tea.

The ceremony of Afternoon Tea reputably began in the early 1800s and is now enjoyed in restaurants, hotels and dining rooms across the country. It usually consists of finger sandwiches and scones galore and comes with its own set of rules and etiquette.

As well as advising against dunking biscuits into your cup and ensuring you always keep the saucer on the table, Mr. Boodles suggests only using the finest bone-china pots and never putting ice in the pot itself, only ever in the serving cup. Fizz is rather gauche, in his view. He is however split on whether cream or jam is spread first on his scones.

For thirsty gin enthusiasts, the full list of Mr. Boodles’ personal favourite teapot sharing is as follows: