“One day I decided to try to have a complete day without tea,” the English singer Morrissey once said. “I was quite shaken. I was quite disturbed.”
I’m with him—I consume several cups daily. I’m a devout tea lover. So, combining my two passions—cocktails and tea —was a natural choice early in my career.
Tea is magic, and as a cocktail ingredient, it is unrivaled. Forget restaurant iced tea or boring bags of Lipton. There are countless types grown and blended around the world, from China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and more—and the range of flavors is wide.
For example: Delicate, enchanting jasmine tea is a blend of green or white tea leaves with fragrant jasmine blossoms. The flowers lend a sweet floral note that perfectly balances the tea’s earthy undertones, making each sip a soothing yet invigorating experience.
Or, consider oolong, which sits elegantly between green and black teas. From the lush mountainous regions of China and Taiwan, the flavors of this semi-oxidized tea can range from floral and fruity to toasty and nutty, depending on the specific variety and processing method.
Then there’s one of my favorite teas, also enjoyed by the late Winston Churchill. Lapsang souchong tea, which hails from China’s mountainous Fujian province, is traditionally prepared by withering the leaves over a smoky pinewood fire. The rich, dark, malty undertones with a robust smokiness linger on the palate.
A Quick Tea Primer
True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which produces the six main categories: white, green, yellow, oolong, black (or red), and dark (or post-fermented).
Then there are various subcategories based on how the leaves are processed. Producers pick the leaves and lay them out to dry and wither, reducing their moisture content. After withering, they subject the leaves to a disruption process that involves tearing, bruising, or flattening them by rolling. That process breaks down their cells, releasing enzymes that start the oxidation process—which is critical to the character of tea. They spread the leaves out in a cooler, more humid environment, where the enzymes react to oxygen and oxidize, causing the leaves to change color and develop flavor.
The length of that process determines the depth and richness of the tea’s flavor as well as its strength. The producers “fix” some teas, such as green teas, during this process, heating the leaves to halt the oxidation process and preserve color. The next step is to dry the oxidized leaves to reduce remaining moisture and stabilize them. Finally, they sort the leaves before packing, grading them based on size and quality.
However, not every type of tea is true tea. There are herbal teas, also known as tisane, made from flowers, roots, leaves, or even spices. The popular rooibos tea, often referred to as “red tea,” is an herbal infusion from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, native to South Africa. Rooibos has a rich, reddish-brown color and earthy, subtly sweet notes, with hints of vanilla and a touch of nuttiness.
Then there is masala chai, the spiced tea especially popular in India. Traditionally, it includes black tea, hot milk, a sweetener, and a blend of spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black peppercorns. You can also add star anise, nutmeg, fennel, or mace. If you’ve only had chai brewed from a tea bag or scoops of a loose blend, you’re missing out on the beauty of preparing it with whole spices.
That leads to the first important factor in preparing tea: how to steep it.
Aficionados tend to frown upon tea bags. Besides the growing evidence that these bagged teas can include microplastics, the tea itself is often of a lower grade; it’s also frequently ground into much smaller particles, resulting in a weaker tea with less flavor.
So, I always recommend loose-leaf tea. Using loose-leaf doesn’t mean your preparation needs to be complicated, nor that it should take any longer to steep than a bag. Get yourself a handy tea-ball infuser—or, my personal favorite, a fine mesh infuser-strainer, which works for both teapots and single cups. You can typically purchase them for about $7 to $10, and they’ll last for years.
How long you steep depends on your own taste as well as the type of tea. Three minutes is an average, but it depends—the suggested steep for black teas can go up to five minutes, while it may be as short as one minute for white or green teas, or longer than five minutes for herbal teas.
Balancing Tea Cocktails
Using tea in cocktails can change the steeping equation, depending on your base spirit and other ingredients.
When I work with tea and whiskey, for example, I use black tea and steep it for a few extra minutes to draw out some bitterness, helping to ensure the whiskey doesn’t dominate the flavor of the tea. I’ll also add a sweet, complementary ingredient to help balance it.
Shadowtime
This Shadowtime cocktail is a great example of that balance. It delivers a sweet, spicy profile with a hint of piney-malty smoke in the finish. Optionally, you can serve it hot instead of cold.
3 oz lapsang souchong tea, brewed and chilled
1½ oz high-rye bourbon
1 oz Cinnamon Syrup (below)
1 dash chocolate bitters
Steep the tea for 4 minutes and allow it to cool before mixing. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with cubed ice and stir well. Strain over a king cube in a rocks glass.
Cinnamon Syrup
1 cup water
2 sticks cinnamon
1 cup raw sugar
In a small pot, add the cinnamon sticks to the water and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and add the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow the syrup to cool, then store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.
White Spirits, Lighter Teas
When working with lighter spirits such as vodka or gin, pairing them with lighter teas and shorter steep times can be effective. However, if your gin is bold, with a big botanical bouquet, then your choice of tea is broader. You can also steep for longer to get a richer flavor.
When you’re choosing a tea and a base spirit, you’re creating a style for your cocktail—like putting together an outfit, even if it’s just jeans and a T-shirt. You can dress up your outfit with boots, or you can keep it casual with sneakers. The color of your jeans can completely transform the outfit, just as a light or dark tea or spirit can transform your cocktail. Add a blazer (vermouth), and you’ve just upstyled your concert T-shirt (gin).
For example, you could pair bold, herbal gin with a lighter, steeped jasmine tea—the floral and herbal profiles combine for a delicious, aromatic experience. You could add a grape-based and/or more floral liqueur (or vermouth) for an added burst of fruit. Then you have a winning combination that delivers both flavor and style.
Hairdresser on Fire
1 oz botanical gin
3 oz jasmine tea, brewed and chilled
1 oz Lustau Vermut Rosé
½ oz honey syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
1 stick cinnamon
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with cubed ice. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass. Zest a light dusting of cinnamon on top of the cocktail.
When using tea with vodka or another relatively neutral spirit, you’ll have to rely on the tea to do the heavy lifting. You don’t want any of the cocktail components to dominate the tea, so be mindful of your other ingredients. Because jasmine tea is floral, you can lean into that profile with complementary floral ingredients for an aperitivo. When mixing citrus flavors with tea, be aware of the acidity. Keep the steep on the lighter side or add ingredients that can balance the acidity.
Save a Prayer
1 oz vodka
3 oz jasmine tea, brewed and chilled
1 oz Tea Rose Syrup (below)
1 oz fresh orange juice
Rose water, for garnish
Add all the ingredients except the rose water to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Spritz the top of the cocktail with rose water.
Tea Rose Syrup
½ cup rose water
½ cup chamomile tea, brewed
1 cup raw honey
Add the rose water and chamomile tea to a warm pot with the honey. Stir until the honey fully dissolves and allow the syrup to cool. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.
Warm and Spiced
With winter on the way, a warm masala-chai cocktail combines comforting spices with a spirited twist to keep you cozy.
Optionally, you can swap the base spirit from aged rum to rye or single-malt whiskey, adding spice and depth. Or go for a sweeter profile. First, you’ll want to mix your own masala so you can brew your own chai.
Masala
¼ cup green cardamom pods
2 Tbs fennel seeds
2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp carom seeds
2 tsp ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp raw sugar
Combine the spices and store in an airtight glass jar.
Chai
8 oz water
1 tsp Masala (above)
1½ tsp loose-leaf black tea
2 oz milk (or unsweetened plant-based milk)
Add the water and spice mix to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the tea and simmer 3 minutes, then add the milk and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and strain into a mug.
Fascination Street
1½ oz aged rum
½ dark amaro
4 oz Chai (above)
Fill a mug with hot water to warm it, then dump the water. Combine all the ingredients in the mug and stir well.
Matcha, Matcha, Matcha
We can't escape the popularity of matcha tea—matcha lattes are everywhere.
Originating in China, matcha came in the late 12th century to Japan, where they refined the process by cultivating shade-grown tea. It eventually became a key part of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.
Producers steam, dry, and grind the shade-grown leaves into a fine powder. When you drink matcha, you consume the entire leaf, resulting in more nutrients and a richer flavor. Matcha also contains more caffeine than other green teas, which could be a reason for its popularity.
To brew a cup or pot of matcha, whisk the powder with hot water to create a frothy beverage that yields earthy, verdant, grassy flavors. (Mix it with steamed milk, and voilà, matcha latte!) Matcha powder also is a favorite ingredient in desserts and other culinary creations.
You can easily add matcha to cocktails by adding a pinch of powder, by using the brewed tea as an ingredient, or by making a syrup. Matcha’s flavors work well in an old fashioned when paired with a whiskey that has dominant vanilla and plenty of baking-spice flavors.
Whip It
El Guapo makes barrel-aged vanilla bitters that is an excellent match here. Instead of bourbon, you could also try this recipe with an unaged tequila or agave spirit. The tequila’s sweet, fruity profile complements the matcha’s earthy, grassy notes. Plus, when you use a clear spirit, matcha’s color becomes more prominent.
2 oz bourbon
1 oz Matcha Syrup (below)
2 dashes vanilla bitters
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with cubed ice and stir well. Strain over a king cube in an old-fashioned glass.
Matcha Syrup
½ oz matcha powder
2 cups water
2 cups raw sugar
Add the matcha powder to the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil while stirring slowly. Continue stirring on medium heat until the sugar fully dissolves and the matcha is completely incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2–3 weeks. (For a more seasonal approach, you can add a split vanilla bean to the pot, removing it after cooling.)
Darjeeling, My Darling
Darjeeling tea is another favorite for tea cocktails. Often referred to as the “champagne of teas,” Darjeeling grows in India’s Darjeeling district, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Darjeeling tea’s flavors are complex and varied, reflecting the specific harvest season in which it was produced. First-flush Darjeeling—harvested in spring—typically offers a light, floral taste with muscatel notes and a fresh, brisk quality. In contrast, second-flush Darjeeling—harvested in summer—has more body, often with rich, fruity, and spicy undertones, making it smoother and more robust.
In autumn I’m often reaching for brandy—specifically, apple brandy. I love a good craft brandy that strikes a balance between fresh, juicy apple flavors and deep, robust stone fruit. So, this cocktail has a perfect profile for autumn, but I’ll happily enjoy it all year long.
Joy Division
1½ oz apple brandy
3 oz Darjeeling tea, brewed and chilled
½ oz orange liqueur
½ oz honey syrup
½ oz lemon juice
1 apple slice or dried citrus slice for garnish
Shake all the ingredients except the apple slice in a cocktail shaker with cubed ice. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice cubes. Garnish with the apple or dried citrus slice.
A Deep Pot of Flavors
In tea cocktails, the harmony of flavors can be magical, and whether you’re crafting a cocktail with bright herbal notes or mixing a warm, comforting chai beverage, the possibilities are endless. Pairing your favorite spirits with the distinct characteristics of various teas unlocks a world of creativity and indulgence.
So, the next time you pour a cup of tea, think beyond the conventional. Explore, experiment, and embrace the rich tapestry of flavors that tea has to offer. You may find that your perfect cocktail is a few leaves away.