Welcome back to Part 3 of our Quaran-TEA-ni Series!
A blog about all things tea cocktails that you can make for yourself while you're stuck at home.
I hope you are all staying safe and well!
We'll be doing something a little different today.
TEA INFUSED BEER!
Living in Colorado, we're no strangers to the craft beer industry. There's a good chance you have your favorite local spots with your favorite craft beers. There's also a good chance you can't currently frequent them like you used to. First of all, PLEASE go support them. Go get your growlers filled! But I'm here to give you another idea to get a little creative at home and create your own craft beers using tea! Yes. That's what I said. You might not think so. But it works. I promise.
Tea can give your beer an added flavor that you might not have thought you'd enjoy. I have seen many people come in skeptical about the idea but then be pleasantly surprised.
It's simple, easy to do and delicious!
All you need is beer, tea, a glass, and a french press. (If you don't have a french press, don't worry! A measuring cup and strainer will do just fine.)
Matching tea to beer
It's incredibly simple to match tea to beer - just about any combo will probably work. It's really about your own tastes. If you like something fruity, add a fruity blend. If you like something spicy, consider a
chai. If you have a favorite beer and a favorite tea, try them together! Like I've said before, not everything you try will be a hit. But I trust you'll find it!
Here's some examples to get your ideas flowing:
You could literally do ANYTHING.
Ok wait, maybe not anything...there's just one rule...well, guideline...
The darker the beer, the darker the tea needs to be.
What I mean by that is this: If you want to add some tea to a Guinness, for example, adding a white or green tea really won't do much. Those teas are so much lighter to begin with that the flavors will be completely overtaken by the beer. With a Guinness, porter or stout, you'll need a stronger tea like a
black tea or
pu'erh to match the dark, rich flavor of the beer. Try
Lapsang Souchong to give it a little smoky flavor. Or
Mayan Spice Pu'erh to add a spicy kick.
Have fun with it!
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If you read last week's installment about the
Hot Toddy, you'll remember my saying the importance of brewing the tea
double strength when making a tea cocktail. The same idea applies here, but maybe a little less strict. What's more important is doing it to your taste preference. You can add as much or as little tea as you'd like and let it brew shorter or longer!
For those who like more specific instructions (I am one of you...) I'll be more detailed here:
TEA INFUSED BEER
Ingredients:
~ 1 TBSP dry tea leaves of your choice
~ 12 oz bottle/can of beer
Directions:
~ Measure dry tea into french press or measuring cup
~ Pour beer SLOWLY. If you do it fast, it will foam up like crazy. (I've had many overflowing foam moments...)
~ Let steep for about 5-10 minutes (depends on your preference!)
~ Plunge french press and pour into your glass (or strain from measuring cup)
~ Sip and enjoy!
The benefit of using a french press is that you can play around with the timing to get different flavors. Pour a little out at first to get a taste. If you want more flavor, let it keep steeping. You can try it at different times until it is perfectly to your taste.
It's essentially cold brewing tea but in beer so you don't have to worry about over-brewing the tea.
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Today, I tried 2 different combinations. I wanted to try two different styles of beer with two very different teas to give you an idea of what's possible.
BlueBoss Ale
The BlueBoss gives it a bit more tartness and fruity flavors but is still so smooth.
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Golden Dado
The tea gave it a bit of a sweet taste, which I was kind of surprised by. It has a sweeter start and a tangy finish.
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Insert product plug here...
You might be wondering - what is Dadobier?
Well, first, just to be clear, it's pronounced Daa-doe-beer.
Take a virtual vacation to the tropics (from the comfort of your home) with this Brazilian Lager! Available exclusively in Colorado. Brazil's first fiercely independent artisan brewer, brews an amazing malt forward lager. It's rated number one above all beers coming from Mexico and Latin America!
Seriously. It's that good.
We are selling them by the 6 pack at iN-TEA.
Product plug complete.
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Throughout this quarantine, a friend of mine and I have been getting together over FaceTime with a beer every week. One week, we decided to get a little classy and have a glass of wine instead.
Sometimes you've just gotta get classy.
If you've been feeling a lack of classy in your life, grab a bottle of bubbly and some tea! Champagne and Prosecco are PERFECT for adding tea to. It's the exact same process as above.
Some of my favorite Champange and tea combos use our Raspberry Rain herbal blend, Peach Blossom white tea or my first love - Strawberry Rose Oolong. For those of you that have been with us for a long time, you might remember a tea called Wedding Tea. This is it. (We just changed the name). I'll be sure to have this combination to toast with at my wedding one day. (I give you all full permission to steal this idea for yourself if you so choose...)
Not only does it look beautiful, it's sure to make you feel fancy.
Trust me.
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So there you have it!
Tea infused beer and champagne.
Let us know your favorite combinations!
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Watch this space next week when we'll be back at it with cocktails.
Three words:
Matcha.
Ice.
Cubes.
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Drink Tea and Stay Well Friends!
You might be wondering - what is Dadobier?
Some of my favorite Champange and tea combos use our Raspberry Rain herbal blend, Peach Blossom white tea or my first love - Strawberry Rose Oolong. For those of you that have been with us for a long time, you might remember a tea called Wedding Tea. This is it. (We just changed the name). I'll be sure to have this combination to toast with at my wedding one day. (I give you all full permission to steal this idea for yourself if you so choose...)