Chicago ? Scotch and tea, together? Before saying “Ewwwww,” just try it out. After all, people have been drinking spiked tea as toddies for years.

Take confidence, too, in the indisputable fact the Chinese share top honors with the French for having the most finely honed palates in the world. If the trendsetters of Hong Kong could make cognac and a splash of 7UP work (this drink pairs beautifully with Chinese food), why not some Chivas Regal or Johnnie Walker and green tea?

At least one can argue this is a good-for-you drink given green tea’s heralded antioxidant properties.

Published descriptions of the drink offer pretty vague instruction on how to make it. Take this example from the Web site of the Beijing Review, an English-language news weekly: “Fill jugs with ice, pour in whisky and top up the jug with green tea. It’s a cool, long drink with a murky color.”

Informal experiments here in the office pointed toward a ratio of 3 parts green tea to 1 part Scotch as offering the most refreshing drink. The Scotch’s signature smokiness was there, but the tannins from the tea rendered a slight sharpness. No murkiness in sight, but that could be our made-for-Americans green tea.

This proportion produced a drink that evoked the words of one Chinese imbiber quoted in the Beijing Review.

“We like the taste of the bitter tea and smoky Scotch. It’s a very sociable way to relax,” said Zhou Li, identified as a “longtime Scotch drinker” in the capital city.

Lesser proportions of tea to Scotch yielded a stronger alcohol presence but the drink still tasted weaker and less interesting – at least to those of us who prefer Scotch neat or on the rocks.