Tea Cocktails That Is!
Story by Dave Eckert | Intro photo by runner! cocktails / Molly Hoffman Photography
It’s one of the hottest areas of the adult beverage industry, and all the experts I’ve spoken with believe it’s a trend that’s here to stay. I’m referring to tea-based cocktails, which you can find on grocery store shelves, at your favorite wine or liquor store, and at nearly every restaurant or bar you may frequent.
The latter is where I began my exploration of the subject at the awesome Osteria Bianchi with the bar manager Andrew Downing. Since opening a few short months ago, Downing has put two tea-based drinks on the menu-a mocktail called the OLD BUT GOLD where Downing mimics a Kombucha-style drink, and a cocktail titled the BEKIND, which features Hendricks gin, chamomile, lemon, and egg white. Downing says the BEKIND resonates with customers, quickly becoming the second most popular cocktail at the restaurant. “The BEKIND is based on the cocktail classic, the Bee’s Knees, a prohibition-era cocktail featuring gin, lemon juice, and honey. The chamomile adds a depth of flavor and aroma to the drink, and the egg white gives it a frothy component. All in all, it’s a very balanced and complex drink,” Downing shared.
Downing has been plying his trade as a mixologist for some time now and has seen his share of cocktail trends come and go. He’s of the opinion the tea-cocktail combination is here to stay. “You can add so many different flavors and aromas with tea, giving the cocktails more depth, and ultimately, making them more interesting. They’re gonna hang around,” Downing concluded.
Photos courtesy of Osteria Bianchi
Onto another of my favorite restaurants, Lula Southern Cookhouse, and a chat with master mixologist and Lula manager, Brett Pitner. They also have a Bee’s Knees homage cocktail on their menu called The Bee Keeper featuring lavender and pea tea, which is delicious. But, at Lula, the head-turning tea-infused cocktail is the Lula Punch, which has bourbon, rum, black tea, citrus olea, a dehydrated lemon wheel, and the showstopper, a sprig of rosemary that is lit on fire at the bar and delivered smoking to your table. “My wife, Mari Matsumoto, created the drink during her time behind the bar here, but since she’s moved on, I’m the one who gets to execute it. It’s a boozy drink, for sure, but people really like it. The lighted rosemary does the selling for us, creating what Mari calls “the fajita effect” as the smoking drink makes its way through the dining room,” Pitner shared. I’ve witnessed the “fajita effect” of the Lula Punch and Pitner is 100-percent correct. Add in the fact that the Lula Punch is downright delicious, and you’ve got a tea-based winner, for sure!
Jake Barnett is a good friend whose latest job is with Big Thirst, a comprehensive e-commerce and marketing company for spirits brands. He’s also a very talented mixologist in his own right. Barnett tells me he loves the flavors and flexibility tea brings to a cocktail. “I think tea is a great component in cocktails in both bar programs and commercially-available RTD cocktails because of the wide variety of flavor profiles. It can also provide a means for providing depth of flavor without increasing a drink’s sweetness,” Barnett weighed in.
I asked Barnett for some personal favorites. He was happy to provide. “In the summer, I really enjoy an ice-cold hibiscus tea with mint and lemon spiked with a lighter-bodied spirit like Lifted Spirits’ Bright Gin, and topped with seltzer. My favorite tea cocktail off the shelf would be our partner Good Boy Vodka’s John Daly Peach Iced Tea & Lemonade. Super refreshing and low enough ABV you can enjoy several at your summer BBQ or on the golf course,” Barnett shared.
Finally, some thoughts from Brian Shellenberger, owner of runner! cocktails, a mobile draft cocktail company specializing in corporate parties, fundraisers, and private events. Shellenberger made me three tea-based cocktails recently, one better than the next. You can find recipes for the BLT, and 1234, and the Uppers and Downers at homesandstylekc.com. Beyond the recipes, Shellenberger is a big fan of using tea as an ingredient in cocktails for several reasons. “Tea adds depth and complexity to any cocktail program. You can really flex your creativity and experiment with different flavor profiles that might not be present in traditional cocktail builds. They can do a lot to complement when called for or contrast when necessary,” Shellenberger offered.
Like the three other mixologists before him, Shellenberger thinks tea cocktails are in it to win it. “Definitely not a flash in the pan, that’s for sure. There are some heavy hitters out there that see the potential and are scooping up small to mid-market brands left and right. And rightfully so. The growth potential is huge and let’s be honest, there’s gotta be someone out there to knock Twisted Tea off their throne,” Shellenberger shared.
That just about does it. I don’t know about you, but for some reason, I’m rather thirsty.
