A tender pink infusion, in a cup of white tea: the colour of London Rhapsody surprises before the scent even does. It comes from the red beetroot in the composition, not from a colouring. On this rosé white tea base, Mariage Frères has brought together bergamot, mint and fine lavender to compose, in its own words, the most British of its French teas.

The ingredients are white tea, beetroot and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. It is presented in a box of thirty round cotton muslin tea sachets, sewn in France, with a net weight of 75 g, in a black box with white polka dots.

The white tea, lightly processed and low in caffeine, gives a light, velvety liquor on which the flavours settle without forcing. The bergamot bursts out first, the mint brings a chic freshness, and the lavender signs a floral finish that evokes an English garden. The whole is as eccentric as it is elegant, and very soft on the palate.

It is drunk in the afternoon, at teatime of course, with a scone, a shortbread or a lemon cake. Its lightness makes it pleasant at the end of the day too. Iced, in a tall glass, it keeps its pink hue and becomes a much-admired summer drink, happily served to guests.

Allow one muslin sachet for 200 ml of water at 85 °C and seven minutes of infusion, as white tea needs more time than a black tea. Keep the box closed, away from kitchen odours.