Learn to make non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails using sencha, matcha, Earl Grey, and more.
Even if you don’t drink tea often, you probably have a box or two of bags stored away in your cupboard in case it becomes cold outside, it gets chilly at night, or you have a visitor who needs a little more warmth. Matcha is our go-to ingredient for dishes like these earthy, nutty Matcha Tea Cake Cookies, while black teas are better suited to baked meals with flowery and a hint of sweetness, like this Earl Grey Tea Bread. The universe of tea-based beverages is equally vast, ranging from herbal teas like chamomile and mint to Japanese teas like sencha and Hojicha. Learn how to prepare 11 of our favorite alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages using both tea bags and loose leaf tea by reading on.
Iced Teaquila
This drink is for you if you’ve ever needed proof that black tea and tequila are a combination made in heaven.
Jasmine Gin Fizz
A jasmine tea cocktail was something Ryan Fitzgerald had always wanted to make. He decided to utilize gin that had been flavored with jasmine tea to add it to the late-19th-century Silver Fizz.
Green Refresher
This non-alcoholic drink is tart, sharp, and simple to create; you’ll want to make it long after Dry January is through.
Bourbon Tea Julep
Alexander’s take on the traditional mint julep incorporates black tea tannins, which give it a lovely whiff of bitterness. Here, lemon peels are steeped in sugar to create oleo saccharum, often known as citrus oil; its zesty taste provides the ideal lift to conclude each drink.
Stop the Hourglass
Juicy, luscious peaches are combined with cold, revitalizing mint tea in Chantal Tseng’s version of a delicious summer beverage. This frozen sipper has a sweet, pleasing depth from the amontillado sherry, which has flavors of vanilla and roasted hazelnuts. The spiciness of the alcohol and ginger is subdued by the fresh peaches and mint tea ice cubes.
Lemon Mint Iced Tea
Black tea, fresh lemon juice, and a minty simple syrup come together to make a cool summer beverage.
Masala Chai Latte
These flavorful Masala Chai Lattes have a delectable depth because to the mixture of spices that are blended with the tea. Adjust the spices to suit your tastes since chai is made with a variety of spices that differ by location and even household in India. Fresh ginger and black peppercorns provide a little spice to these lattes, while cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves add warming, earthy aromas.
Pu-erh Tea Digestif
The barrel-aged Cognac and the sweet, smokey, earthy tea combine to create a surprisingly smooth beverage.
Rosy Hibiscus-Gin Lowball
Are you on the fence about gin? Take a taste of this welcome drink. The variety of hibiscus used in most hibiscus teas, roselle, also known as sorrel, combines with the flowery notes of gin to create a balanced, pleasant drink. For a cool, non-alcoholic beverage, mix leftover hibiscus tea with lemonade.
Matcha Latte
Molly Yeh, a TV personality, cookbook author, and blogger, offers her simple recipe that uses milk, matcha powder, and honey for sweetness. Matcha, a fine powder created from finely ground green tea leaves, adds a vivid green hue and an earthy, somewhat bitter taste.
Mango Hibiscus Cooler
With this prepare-ahead mixer flavored with sweet mango nectar and bitter hibiscus syrup, visitors may decide their own course of action. It tastes well mixed with tequila and served in a cocktail or on the rocks with sparkling water and Cava on top.