We invited Divyanshu Dwivedi, Head of Trainings & Tastings – TWG Tea India to share some details on the luxury tea brand, and keeping his background in the boozy drinks space in mind, asked him to highlight new trends in the mixology scene along with recipes of four well crafted TWG Tea based cocktails. Read more.
TEA IN MIXED DRINKS : FROM PUNCHES TO COCKTAILS
The use of tea as an ingredient for punches dates as far back as the 17th century. The very early punches were large-format mixed drinks served at social events. They surrendered over time to the advent of the whole range of single-serving drinks currently revered in mixological culture: slings, bittered slings, sours, fizzes, duos and trios, etc. Today’s slow reintroduction of punch has undergone significant changes from its historic identity, being only finally ushered back into the cocktail mix.
The granddaddy of American bar celebrities, Jerry Thomas, pointed out that you can use tea in place of water in punches for added complexity. The sharp, bitter, astringent edge of tea and its herbal complexity was a precursor to the use of bitters, a defining agent in the cocktail and filling the same role in terms of drying, rounding and adding depth to a cocktail.
One tea trend gaining attention is the re-emergence of tea liqueurs, triggered in the 1950s with a green tea liqueur from Japan-based Russian confectioner Morozoff.
However, the most prevalent practice in the mixological market remains the direct infusion of tea into base spirits and modifiers or the elaboration of syrups or tinctures. In this way, tea flavours selected from a large palette can be consistently applied to mixes.
USE OF TEA IN COCKTAILS: A SIGNIFICANT VALUE ADDED
Consumers certainly value new experiments in cocktails and appreciate the trend of using tea, a natural product, to enhance the bouquet of alcoholic beverages.
Mixologists & Restaurateurs also see a benefit in adding tea into the bar program as a cost-reduction option. By using teas that develop composite aroma profiles, they manage not only to reduce ingredients in mixed drinks but also to practically cut the need for artificially flavoured mixers.
Mixologists and Professionals in the hospitality industry at large have started using the following guidelines as they experiment with the addition of tea to cocktails:
- Gin goes well in most combinations for its floral, herbaceous, botanical qualities.
- Whiskey and other dark spirits are better paired with the more oxidized, roasted teas.
- Bourbon and tea form a nice partnership among cocktail enthusiasts.
- Chamomile and Scotch both go well with floral, honeyed, and nutty ingredients.
- Brown spirits pair exceptionally well with black tea and tisanes with spices.
TWG TEA : THE FINEST LUXURY TEA
TWG Tea was established in Singapore and celebrates the year 1837 when the island became a trading post for teas, spices and fine epicurean products. A subsidiary of the V3 Group, TWG Tea stands for The Wellbeing Group and was founded in 2008. TWG Tea tasters travel thousands of miles across the globe every year, sampling hundreds of teas in search of the most desirable harvests direct from source gardens. Offering over 1,000 single-estate, fine harvest teas and exclusive blends, as well as tea patisseries and other tea-infused delicacies.
With inspirations and concoctions stemming from TWG’s exquisite tea blends, there is no better way to pamper and refresh your palate than TWG Tea’s unparalleled range of tea-infused cocktails and mocktails, flavourfully infused with the finest selection of hand-picked and beautifully harvested teas. The role of tea in the making of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages spans many generations. Tea’s growing popularity among the consumers across the world furthers research on the many uses of such a mainstay beverage. Mixologists are actively experimenting with all teas, from basic black to tisanes, as a flavouring element in handcrafted cocktails, in the form of tea tinctures, bitters, syrups and other infused spirits.
Start your practical investigation with the following TWG Tea-based cocktails that develop an unexpected flavour array:
TWG Signature Cocktail Recipes :
- Tea Cosmopolitan ( Classic and trendy cocktail infused with a fruity Rooibos tea.)
Ingredients
TWG Eternal Summer Tea, iced: 3cl
Cranberry Juice: 3cl
Vodka: 3cl
Lime Juice: 1cl
Preparation:
- Pour all the ingredients into a shaker.
- Shake and strain the ice cubes while pouring into the glass.
- Serve in a Martini glass.
- Old Fashioned Chamomile ( A timeless classic with a touch of originality)
Ingredients
TWG Chamomile syrup: 2cl
Whisky: 3cl
Angostura Bitter: 0.5 cl ( few dashes)
Preparation:
- Pour the whisky, the Angostura and the Chamomile syrup in a shaker.
- Strain and serve it in an Old Fashioned glass, on the rocks.
Chamomile Syrup:
- Infuse the content of 3 sachets of Chamomile Teabags in 100ml of water for 5 minutes.
- Strain and add 100g of sugar.
- Darjeeling Margarita ( Margarita infused with TWG Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea.)
Ingredients :
Margaret’s Hope First Flush Black Tea, Iced: 4cl
Lime Juice: 3cl
Lemon Juice: 3cl
Tequila: 4cl
Sugar Syrup: 2cl
Preparation :
- Pour all the ingredients into a shaker.
- Shake and strain the ice cubes while pouring into the glass.
- Serve in a Martini or Margarita glass.
- TWG Tea Long Island Iced Tea ( Classic Long Island Ice Tea with TWG Nuwara Eliya OP – an Orange Pekoe grade Ceylon Black Tea.)
Ingredients:
TWG Nuwara Eliya OP Tea Syrup: 3cl
Lemonade: ½ teaspoon
Gin,Vodka,Rum,Tequila,Triple Sec: 1cl each
Lime Juice: 2cl
A slice of lime
Preparation:
- Pour all the alcohol and lime juice with ice in a shaker.
- Shake and strain the ice cubes while pouring into the glass.
- Add the slice of lime and top it up with the Nuwara Eliya OP syrup and lemonade.
Nuwara Eliya OP Syrup:
- Place 1 litre of water into a pan.
- Add 200g of sugar and boil the water
- Once sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and add 100g of Nuwara Eliya OP.
- Infuse tea leaves for 3 minutes then strain the leaves with a clean cotton tea filter.
Check out The Wellness Store for more.
(Extracts from the books “Tea Classified : A Tealover’s Companion” by Jane Pettigrew & Bruce Richardson and “Tea Cocktails by Abigail R. Gehring”)
The writer is a certified beverage trainer & facilitator with over 15 years of experience in Hospitality & Alcobev Industry.His professional qualifications include Advance(Level 3) certification in Wines & Spirits from WSET London & Tea Aficionado from Asian School of Tea. He is also a certified Whisky Ambassador. Connect with him on divyanshu.dwivedi@dil-rjcorp.com or Follow on Instagram & Facebook @TWG Tea India.
