Tea is finding its way into more cocktails, adding everything from subtle floral notes to warm spice and a pleasant tannic finish. In Charleston, the trend draws on the city’s deep tea heritage and offers options ranging from spirit-forward drinks to alcohol-free sips.

Here are seven tea cocktails to try around town:

Chai No Lait at Coterie

A menu staple since Coterie opened in 2020, the dairy-free Chai No Lait combines chai-steeped gin with Angostura bitters and egg-white foam. Its creator, co-owner Jeremy Buck, designed it to bring the creamy, fragrant feel of a chai latte into a refreshing cocktail.

Coterie also serves the Laotong, made with chamomile-infused pisco.

The Mitchell at Camellias

Inspired by Southern peach tea, The Mitchell pairs English breakfast tea with bourbon. The result is a smooth, fruit-forward drink designed to be approachable. It fits naturally at Camellias, a bar inside Hotel Bennett known for its afternoon tea service.

Pluff and Proper at The Palmetto Hotel

Created with local tea company Oliver Pluff, this cocktail combines The Botanist gin with orange clove tea, lemon and bergamot notes. The tea adds warm tannins and complexity.

The hotel is also developing a Tea Tini Trio, with options that can be made using nonalcoholic spirits.

Nashpati No. 5 at Rivayat

This fall cocktail brings together reposado tequila, Earl Grey tea, black peppercorn, spiced pear liqueur, lemon, garam masala and jaggery. Beverage director Juleon Schneider drew inspiration from tea-poached pears, and says bergamot’s citrusy character pairs especially well with tequila.

Garden Fog at Sweatman’s Garden

Sweatman’s Garden offers several tea-based drinks, including the habanero fresca, which can be served as a mocktail or made with alcohol. A seasonal favorite, the Garden Fog, combines nonalcoholic fernet, pear and Earl Grey soda, topped with marshmallow fluff.

Divine Intervention at Ma’am Saab

This chai-spiced bourbon cocktail, finished with West Indies orange bitters, is Ma’am Saab’s take on an Old Fashioned. It has evolved through several versions over the years, with its current form introduced in fall 2025.

Karachi Wala at Ma’am Saab

Also built around chai, the Karachi Wala mixes vodka, warm spices and amaretto. Owner and executive chef Raheel Gauba created it as a nostalgic tribute to evenings with friends in Karachi, where cups of chai helped gatherings last a little longer. Sweeter and softer than the Divine Intervention, it’s intended as an after-dinner drink.