Paris is a feast of flavours, says Mariage Frères, and Midnight in Paris was created in that spirit: a fragrant red rooibos, caffeine-free, for evenings. It comes in a tall flask with a double lid containing 80 g of fragrant red rooibos.

Rooibos is a plant from South Africa, which is not a tea, and whose infusion, red and smooth, contains no caffeine and few tannins. The house blends in chamomile, hibiscus, cornflowers and a flavouring; the full list appears on the flask and on this sheet. The hibiscus flowers, a passion red, give both the leaf and the cup their colour and fragrance.

In the cup, notes of vanilla sing, mixed with tangy fruity accents, according to the house. The rooibos brings its sweet, woody softness, the vanilla rounds it out, the hibiscus adds a touch of acidity that keeps the whole lively, and the chamomile a discreet base of dry hay. The liquor is red, round and free of bitterness.

It is drunk in the evening, after dinner, plain or with a little milk; it accompanies a red fruit dessert, a biscuit, or is enjoyed on its own. In summer, iced, it becomes a very pleasant terrace drink, to be prepared the day before.

For preparation, allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and 5 minutes of steeping; rooibos tolerates a longer time without harm. The blend may contain traces of nuts. Midnight in Paris is available from La Boutique du Thé, official Mariage Frères stockist since 1999 in Bordeaux and Nice; keep the flask closed, away from light and heat.