Earl Grey Bourbon Cocktail + Chicken & Waffles with Blue Cheese

By Bestea & Honey | October 3, 2025

There’s something magical about unlikely pairings, especially when bold, soulful comfort food meets refined, aromatic cocktails. This isn't your typical Sunday brunch or cocktail hour, this is afternoon tea as the new happy hour. We’re diving into the earthy richness of bourbon infused with Earl Grey tea syrup, elevated with a hint of citrus, and pairing it with crispy chicken & waffle sliders, drizzled in honey and topped with blue cheese crumbles. Who doesn't love a sweet-savory, smoky, tangy indulgence. It’s everything you didn’t know you needed in a single bite and sip!

Aromatic and complex, this cocktail plays on the deep vanilla and caramel notes of bourbon, brightened with the bergamot of Earl Grey tea and a touch of tangerine. It’s smooth and made to linger on your palate.

Pairing a smoky cocktail with an iconic combo of crispy fried chicken and fluffy golden waffle is an epicure mood that your taste buds will thank you for!

EARL GREY BOURBON COCKTAIL

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon

• 2 tsp Earl Grey simple syrup 

• 1 oz fresh squeezed citrus (orange or tangerine)

• 1 dash orange bitter  (optional)

• 1 citrus slice (optional garnish)

To Make Earl Grey Simple Syrup

• 1 cup boiling water

• 4 teaspoons of loose leaf Earl Grey tea or 2 tea bags

• 1 cup sugar

Brew the tea in the hot water. After removing the tea leaves or bags, add the sugar in the tea infused water and stir until it dissolves. Strain and store in airtight container. Let the syrup cool. Refrigerate for up to one month.

Directions

1. In a cocktail mixing glass or shaker filled with ice, combine the bourbon, Earl Grey simple syrup, citrus juice, and orange bitter.

2. Mix or shake for 10–15 seconds.

3. Strain into a glass of your choice.

4. Garnish with an orange or tangerine slice for a fragrant finish.

   
   

For an Earl Grey mocktail, add 3 to 4 ounces tonic water in place of the bourbon with the ingredients. Gently stir and serve!

FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS

We love Jenn Segal's Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders recipe that is full of flavor and you can easily create. But if you're short on time and need a quicker option, store-bought frozen tenders are a great alternative. Just pop them in the oven or air fryer. Kroger Fully Cooked Chicken Tenders or Apple Farms Gluten Free Breaded Chicken are almost good as homemade.

FLUFFY WAFFLES

The classic waffle recipe by John Kannell is both tasty with minimal effort. For a simpler option, you can use Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix to make waffle without hassle and they’ll taste just as amazing.

Don't forget to sprinkle blue cheese crumbles and drizzle honey on your chicken and waffles pairing for a scrumptious finish!