Tea is becoming a more prominent ingredient in cocktails, with bartenders using it for far more than simple infusions. Different varieties can contribute tannins, acidity, bitterness, floral aromas, roasted notes and even savory flavors—qualities that can reshape a drink’s structure.

At Boston’s Bloom, tea is central to the cocktail menu. Chicago beverage director Gilberto Mendez is also exploring tea cocktails for the upcoming restaurant Cha Chin, using selections from Rare Tea Cellar. New York bartender Kenta Goto, meanwhile, has worked with tea in cocktails since opening Bar Goto in 2015.

The key is choosing a tea that suits the drink and handling it carefully. For example, sencha’s fresh character can fade if it sits too long in an infused spirit or syrup. Bartenders also recommend following the tea’s brewing instructions for water temperature and steeping time. Extending the steep may bring out bitterness rather than more of the tea’s desired flavor.

Tea varieties that work well in cocktails

• Oolong: Depending on its oxidation and roast, oolong can taste floral and fruity or deep, toasted and nutty. Its tannins add structure without requiring extra bitters or heavy sweeteners.
• Genmaicha: This green tea blended with toasted rice lends drinks a warm, nutty quality.
• Hojicha and iribancha: These roasted Japanese teas bring smoky, toasted and lightly charred notes, adding depth to cocktails.
• Chamomile: Its refreshing, savory character can complement other ingredients or serve as a drink’s main flavor.
• Chai: The spice blend offers a convenient way to add warmth and complexity. Because chai blends vary, choose one that suits the flavors you want to emphasize.

Three tea cocktail recipes

Hojicha Old Fashioned

Roasted hojicha gives this classic a touch of earthy depth and delicate smoke.

Ingredients

• 1.25 oz Hennessy VSOP Cognac
• 0.75 oz Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 rum
• 1.5 tsp cane syrup
• 1 drop mole bitters
• 1 hojicha tea bag

Method: Add the ingredients to a mixing glass, placing the tea bag in last. Fill the glass with ice and stir 60 times. Strain into a snifter.

Kyoto Martini

This matcha-based cocktail is described as strong and smooth, with rum and cachaça complementing matcha’s grassy notes. A whole egg gives it a silky texture.

Ingredients

• 0.75 oz Avuá Amburana cachaça
• 0.5 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
• 0.25 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican rum
• 0.25 oz Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black rum
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp high-quality matcha powder
• 3 drops Peychaud’s bitters

Method: Add everything except the bitters to a shaker and dry shake—that is, shake without ice—vigorously for 30 seconds. Add about six ice cubes and shake hard for another 30 seconds. Double-strain into a coupe glass, then dot the bitters over the foam.

Oolong & Stormy

A tea-inspired take on the rum-based Dark & Stormy.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz aged rum
• 1 oz strongly brewed roasted oolong tea, chilled
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.25 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water)
• 2 oz ginger beer
• Lime wheel, to garnish

Method: Brew the oolong using about 2 teaspoons of loose-leaf tea per 4 oz of hot water. Steep for 3–4 minutes, following the tea’s recommended water temperature, then strain and chill. Add the rum, tea, lime juice and honey syrup to an ice-filled highball glass and stir gently. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wheel.