While not traditionally thought of as a bar star, tea has a lot to offer as a cocktail ingredient because of its incredible versatility. It can be served hot or cold and, as a drinks category in itself, tea offers myriad flavor profiles because it comes in so many different styles. There are fruity and floral teas that offer light and refreshing flavors for mixed drinks, and there are also full-bodied teas that boast robust taste profiles capable of standing up to even the strongest spirits.
“Tea offers unique flavors, complexity, and balance to both classic and modern cocktails,” says Heather Blanchard, lead bartender at the Virgin Hotels New Orleans, which houses the restaurant Commons Club and the bar The Pool Club. “There are endless options when creating tea cocktails. Tea adds depth due to its wide range of flavors, and its versatility makes it a valuable ingredient for both light, refreshing cocktails and richer, spirits-forward ones.”
The Virgin Hotels New Orleans serves both cocktails and mocktails made with tea, and Blanchard says they’re well received. Recent selections have included a Four Roses Bourbon-based Smash ($16) made with green tea and a Hendrick’s gin-based Spritz ($17) made with jasmine tea, as well as the Sweet Lady of Waiahole ($17), a specialty drink comprising Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose gin, Chareau Aloe liqueur, hibiscus-ginger tea, cranberry juice, and simple syrup. Blanchard adds that for many consumers, tea is viewed as a healthy beverage, which gives tea cocktails a boost with the health-conscious crowd.
“In the warmer months, we use light and refreshing teas like green and white varieties, as well as fruity and floral options like hibiscus and jasmine, and when the weather cools down we turn to teas like chai, ginger, and lapsang souchong for their warming and robust flavors,” Blanchard says. “Tea’s versatility allows it to work in a wide range of cocktails. The key is choosing the right type of tea, spirits, and mixers to create a flavorful and balanced drink.”
At the Spanish restaurant Costera in New Orleans, the menu features a rotating Old Fashioned made with tea-infused whiskey, and the infusion changes seasonally. In the summer, the venue’s bar turns to fruity teas and in the winter, bartenders utilize deeper flavors with an emphasis on baking spices. Recent Old Fashioneds ($14) have been mixed with peach rooibos-infused Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon and horchata chai-infused Wild Turkey 101 rye.
“Since the tea is infused into drinks, it’s unobtrusive in a way that other ingredients can sometimes be,” says Costera general manager Steve Groom. “We change the Old Fashioned seasonally to highlight how well different tea blends play in the drink. It’s one of our most popular cocktails. The tea is an inviting twist.”
Meanwhile in Miami, seasonality is less of an issue because the weather is consistently warm, but tea still features on cocktail menus. Restaurateur Eileen Andrade, who is the chef and owner at Amelia’s 1931 and Finka Table & Tap in Miami, features tea drinks at both venues. At Amelia’s 1931, the Yass Queen ($15) is made with earl grey tea-infused Haku vodka, St. Elizabeth Allspice dram, lemon juice, and orange blossom honey syrup, served in a teacup rinsed with Ardbeg Scotch, and it’s a top-seller at the venue. At Finka Table & Tap, the You Go Glen Coco ($14) mixes Suntory Toki whisky, Bittermens Hellfire Habanero shrub, black tea reduction, lemon juice, coconut cream, and sage, and it has been on the menu since 2016 because it’s a customer favorite.
“Tea is versatile and provides depth of flavor, making it a fantastic ingredient for creating layered cocktails,” Andrade says. “Tea pairs well with a variety of spirits. Vodka and gin (complement tea) due to their neutral and botanical notes, respectively, however darker spirits like whisk(e)y can also blend beautifully with the right tea, creating rich and bold concoctions. People enthusiastically appreciate the creativity and unique flavors we introduce into cocktails with tea.”