03/06/2024
Some things are just toooo exciting.
At Eighty Degrees, we have discussed how some tearooms are seizing the opportunity to use tea as an ingredient in novelty concoctions. Some infuse spirits with tea leaves, while others focus on wonderful cold brew blends.
On our trip to Hong Kong last month, we had the pleasure of an impromptu visit to a recently (ish) launched evening tea bar. As an avid cocktail enthusiast, this certainly piqued my interest!
The folks at take spirit enhancements to new heights by distilling, macerating, and using hot infusion methods. The results are mind-blowing and provide an excellent example of how to entice new people to tea.
1. Carnelian: Yunnanese tangerine pu’er with pu’er slow-cooked rum, tangerine syrup, and hawthorn cordial
2. Rusty: Taiwanese red jade with red jade-redistilled gin, thyme slow-cooked rosso vermouth, and Campari
3. Tortoise Shell: kuki hojicha from Uji with rye whiskey, yuzu, black & white sesame, spices, black sugar, and fresh milk
4. Mengding Ganlu cold brew (to cleanse the palate)
5. Blaze: keemun from Anhui with keemun slow-cooked gin, peach liqueur, Peruvian organic coffee, and tangerine peel syrup
It’s no exaggeration to say that while a traditional Espresso Martini is a hit or miss in many establishments (more often a miss), Blaze made me rethink my definition of delight.