Tea inspired cocktails you should try
Tea cocktails are a rare treat that will stimulate the senses and surprise any cocktail connoisseur. Tea based cocktails are a recent addition to drink menus, introduced by Dilmah’s tea mixology initiatives. Dilmah’s range of teas could be paired well with alcohol to enhance tea drinking experience.
In case you are wondering, tea cocktails, Really? Yes really, as tea based cocktails mix perfectly with alcohol without losing the goodness of tea nor the spirit of alcohol. ‘G and Tea’ is a good example of a tastefully put together tea-based cocktail. This cocktail is made with Dilmah’s signature Earl Grey tea (strong brew) combined with Tanqueray London Dry Gin, fresh lime juice, Monin Lavender syrup, and a dash of grapefruit bitters with a good shake in the cocktail shaker, strained and served in a short glass topped up with ice and a lime wedge for garnish and is as refreshing and relaxing as any traditional cocktail.
As surprising as it may sound and taste, tea mixology and tea inspired cocktails are fast picking up as a much loved and sought after variety of cocktails in many continents.
Some mixologists have gone a step further in daring to mix conventional teas into inspiring tea based cocktails. ‘The Ara Punch’ has combined traditional green tea into a Ceylonese cocktail by mixing Galliano L’Autentico, BolsCorenwyn, Arrack, freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh pineapple juice and coconut water poured into a punch bowl filled with ice and stirred gently.
Some ideal alcohols to mix with tea are gin, rum, arrack, brandy, whiskey as they complement the bitterness of tea well. Similarly, some teas pair well with tea-based cocktails such as Dilmah’s Earl Grey, green tea, regular black tea and some of Dilmah’s infusion teas are great tea cocktail ingredients.
‘Rose and Vanilla Fizz’ cocktail and ‘Hot Stuff’ cocktail for instance are great tea-based cocktails that are made using Dilmah infusion teas. ‘Rose and Vanilla Fizz’ is a mix of Bols Genever, Galliano L’Autentico, with Dilmah Rose with French Vanilla Tea Syrup, shook up in a shaker with egg white, freshly squeezed lemon juice, into a chilled Collins glass.
‘Hot Stuff’ brings out the caramel flavor of the fresh brewed Dilmah Caramel infused tea which is fabulously blended into a tea cocktail with rum, crème de banana and honey, stirred into a tall glass with a cinnamon stick as garnish.
The array of Dilmah iced teas in French vanilla, peppermint, cinnamon, Moroccan mint and other exotic flavors ; tea cordials in peach, black currant, classic black, lemon flavors; and freshly produced tea concentrations found in tea elixirs are great for mixing up some soothing and satisfying cocktails such as the ‘Burlesque Iced Tea’. This simple yet refreshingly tasty cocktail is a mix of Dilmah iced tea peach and pear with Cointreau and fresh lemon squeeze, filled into an ice filled glass and garnished with cinnamon powered pear fan.
‘Beyond the Door’ is another innovative cocktail using tea elixir combining vodka, mineral water, Elixir Black Tea with Mango, Green Apple & Nori seaweed pureé, Dilmah Lemongrass and spearmint (foam) and Dilmah Lapsang Souchong shaken well before serving.
The types, tastes and flavors that could be mixed into fine tea cocktails are endless. It is as vast as the imagination is willing to go.
Is it good to mix tea with alcohol?
Some misconceptions about tea cocktails is that tea and alcohol should not be mixed and it loses the health properties of tea. Mixing alcohol with tea doesn’t take away the natural goodness of tea in anyway.
Tea based cocktails simply enhance the tea drinking experience by providing a fresh perspective to tea and a fresh way to enjoy tea throughout the day.
