Having a designated bar area in the home can be fun. You can concoct your favorite cocktails and mocktails any time you desire. If you like hosting your friends and family to some homemade drinks, it gives you more freedom to experiment and offer unique recipes. It becomes easy to pursue this when a perfect setup is ready. You have a decent counter space and storage area boasting a wine cooler, bar fridge, shelves, etc. You took good care of all the interior details by adding sophisticated display lights and a shiny backsplash. Since brightness infuses a sense of charm to any place, your bar can feel a lot more alive with tiny additions.
The selection of a speakeasy breakfast bar, bar stools, and bar sink can elevate the entire vibe. If you are wondering about sink size, check a Kraus kitchen bar sink range for some ideas. To make the bar more equipped, you will also need different types of glassware, including Martini glasses, a bar tool set, a champagne bowl, an ice tray, cocktail picks for garnishes, linen napkins, ice tongs, etc. You can choose modern, vintage, or traditional designs based on your bar design theme and expectations. Since the holiday season is around, you may need different recipes to entertain your guests. Now, let’s explore some nonalcoholic drink ideas with tea for a wee bit of unique flavor and taste.
The magic of tea
You find many wines, aperitifs, and spirits that don’t contain alcohol. These may be USD$30 worth or more. But the cost may vary from place to place. Plus, all brands don’t offer a similar experience. Alternatively, you can try a tea that grows on the same types of plant species like Camellia sinensis and others. Hibiscus, buckwheat, and chamomile, among others, are herbal infusions or tisanes. They may not have caffeine or tannins. With tea, you can make complex drinks without requiring any special skills. You don’t even need fancy equipment for this.
Tea varieties for cocktails
You may not be a tea lover. Just choose anything that suits your taste and mix it with other ingredients. For example, oolong tea with peach juice, black tea with squashed cantaloupe, or coconut milk and matcha can get you started on this journey.
- Green tea
These delicate varieties need careful brewing. Choose something that uses roasted leaves for their wholesome flavor. Mix half a spoonful of the tea in six ounces of hot water. Allow the leaves to soak in the water for three minutes before filtering them out. Let the liquid cool down. You can blend alcohol-free white vermouth in this. For infusions, thyme and rosemary can be the best picks. In the end, you will have a martini drink ready with a slightly lemony touch.
- Black tea
No matter how many ingredients you blend with it, black tea will still have its presence felt. This robust variety stands out for its texture and flavor. During the fall season, infusions like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice combine well with black tea. You can strain the infused tea in a separate mug and add a dose of apple cider, which should be cold. For garnish, you can select orange. The kick from this drink will feel very enjoyable.
- Oolong
The nutty texture and amber tinge define this tea. The flavor can taste similar to a combination of Marzipan and roasted plums. The whole effect gets enhanced when added with stone fruit. You can prepare a warm drink from oolong by adding pomegranate juice and ginger-sugar syrup. Please give it a citrus twist while serving.
Do you like it hot or cold?
The method of brewing tea for cocktails will impact the taste. Hence, you want to be sure of what you want to do. If you desire a quick mouthfeel, hot versions can be the best. Green teas can brew well at 160 to 170 degrees of temperature. Black teas need 212 degrees and oolongs 170 to 180 degrees. You can read the instructions on the package for a better understanding. Before adding anything to the tea, allow the liquid to cool down. However, if it’s a warm drink preparation, you can immediately start.
Remember, hot water will remove tannins from the leaves much better than cold water. However, hot water can make your drink harsh if not paid proper attention during preparation. The experts suggest that cold brewing is the best option to get the right flavor if you are doing a tea-based cold cocktail. For a chilled drink, you will need to keep tea leaves in cold water for one whole day in the fridge. When you strain it, you will enjoy a much rounded and sweet flavor. Generally, the proportion should follow high-quality cold water measuring up to 32 ounces and one to two ounces of tea. For a flavorful tea drink, you can use infused syrup. Again, there are different techniques for this.
Stronger teas can afford to simmer in the syrup – leave leaves in the freshly boiled water, filter it out, and add sugar. You can reheat the liquid if the tea has cooled down, due to which sugar refuses to melt. Make sure sugar granules dissolve correctly. For matcha or powdered teas, you don’t have to heat anything. Add all the ingredients in your blender to mix the sugar well. Some people ask how much tea they should blend with the syrup. Although it depends on preference, you can infuse one tbsp of tea leaves in one cup of sugar and water each. Syrups can have a shelf life of a few weeks in the fridge if you store them well. Brewed tea can lose its flavor in up to two days.
Just get comfortable with your mixing and brewing experience. Once you reach that level, you can make tea-based cocktails with character and complexities admired by a true connoisseur. So, build a beautiful bar and facilitate it with everything. Try your hand at some great drink ideas for real fun. Your friends and family members will find this newly developed skill pretty enticing.
Image by Depositphotos
