Tea cocktail? Stirred or shaken?! Does the word tea in front of cocktail seem like a ‘strange’ request? Actually it’s not that peculiar at all. There are many types of tea, flavours and these differences give us extraordinary depth of taste. Tea is very versatile, it can be infused with cordials, bitters and alcohol. Hot and cold brewed teas can be used as a mixer for your cocktails.
Tea infusions and mixers can be made well ahead of time. This leaves you plenty of time to indulge in the art of concocting your own cocktail. Let your imagination fly!
The enormous range just in black tea; breakfast tea to smoky teas to white tea with its delicate flavours can be infused into and with. Green teas; lush, deep and dark flavours of these sun dried, roasted and steamed teas. Blended with squash (not the overtly sweet version) or with bitters makes a far more complex aperitif.
For really grown up version, a puerh tea keeps on giving. Aged teas taste different each time you brew the same leaves. These pair so well with bold spices and heavier liquors.
Your everyday teas like Earl Grey (Earl on the Moor), jasmine and green tea, mint and camomile. Of course, rooibos and the vast collection of herbal teas.
How to Make Tea Cocktail
A rough guide to what tea to use for your tea cocktail:
Black Teas – full of robust flavours – infuse in rum, whisky
Roasted and Aged Teas – complex and flavourful – goes well with dark liquors
Green Tea – refreshing and light – white spirits
White Tea – very subtle – sparkling
Sparling Tea – with champagne, cava, prosecco
Fermented Teas (kombucha) – use as bitters or for a pre-meal aperitif
Virgin Cocktails
How to Make a Non-Alcoholic Cocktail
A rough guide to making tea cocktails without alcohol:
Use the general theme from above but with virgin cocktails you can really bring in lots more to the party.
Cold brewed teas – with bitters, fruit syrups
Sparling tea – straight up or add to cordials.
Now, that you are inspired and ready with your shaker, lets make some! You don’t have far to go, its ALL on this very blog!!
Cheers!