Cocktail Trends: Tea

Tea drinkers are rejoicing over the new trend of featuring tea in cocktails. With the increase of cafes offering evening drinks like cocktails, it is no surprise that people are starting to mix the two to make fresh, lively blends of their own.

Certain kinds of tea can be known for having different health benefits, so for those looking to increase their intake of freshly brewed tea, they might consider a tea focused cocktail to be a fun addition to their regimen. Commonly used teas for use in cocktails include chamomile, earl grey, green tea and hibiscus.

Earl Grey seems to naturally go well in a cocktail due to its notes of citrus and bergamot. Keeping the flavors of the tea in mind when pairing with other ingredients is an important start to making your own recipe. I encourage you to play around with your favorite teas and spirits to come up with a new delicious type of tea-tail.

There are plenty of simple cocktails featuring tea that you can make for yourself at home. Use a chai blend for a seasonal fall or winter cocktail, or choose a summery chamomile when the weather is warm.

For something super simple, I would suggest trying out one of my favorites to make at home, an earl grey infused champagne cocktail. It’s easy to make in small batches for when it’s just you and a date, or in bulk for a brunch bash. Pair it at the party with shortbreads, baked goods and other sweets. This drink would also pair well with a platter of various fresh fruit.

DIY Earl Grey Champagne Cocktail

First you’ll need to prepare the infused vodka that will go in your cocktail. Put one cup of vodka in a mason jar. To that, add two earl grey tea bags of your choice and seal the jar. This might even be a good opportunity to use up some of those tea bags hiding in the kitchen. You’ll want to let this steep for about 24 hours. After the infusion, this infused vodka will stay fresh for up to three weeks, so don’t worry if you don’t end up using it all.

Now that your vodka is prepped, you can begin to put together the drink. Set out all the glasses, and add 1 ounce of the infused vodka to each. Top off each with your favorite champagne or prosecco. Finally, add a lemon twist garnish to each and enjoy.

Have you ever had a tea cocktail? Would you ever try one? Let us know what kind you had or how this recipe worked out in the comments section.