Tea Cocktails - Changing Trends

The wonderful hot beverage that cheers millions of souls everyday is undergoing a paradigm shift. The brew served hot in a traditional manner is breaking all barriers of stagnating traditions. It may seem that breaking away from the tradition is a sacrilege, but this wonderful leaf has done it without a sword being raised. All for the whiff of fresh air, tangy flavor and sensational aroma thanks to the new admixture created by the innovative connoisseurs and foodies.  

There are no extremists raising guns and swords to bloody the innovators guts. Tea is being consumed as cocktails, iced, bottled and masala all over the World. Wait! It is still being consumed like that way it was since centuries ago but things are changing and fast.   

Cocktails are maddening mixture of fruits and alcohol and the recipe can lead to both hot or icy cold beverage.  

The hot cocktails are enticing during the cold season and rainy days. They a are created by warming the water as usual and adding the leaf and other ingredients. 

Some of the popular names are:
 

• Masala Chai
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• Hot & Toddy 
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• Blueberry Tea  
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• Autumn Chai Sizzle

 Many a type of punches have been created. Most of these cocktails are non alcoholic meant for summers and warm weather. 

Th iced tea or mocktails are usually made as warm tea chilled and then the ingredients are added to it. Iced Brews are also sold at tea lounges along with snacks. They are also sold in cans and bottles not forgetting the soda machine dispensers. 

Some of the popular drinks are:

• Bourbon Tea
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• Cherry Bitch 
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• Bee Tea
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• Derby Tea
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• Ginger Tea 

Innovation is completely going to change the teas of the future and how we consume it. Be prepared.  

Of Tasters & Blenders

The art of discovering fine qualities of tea leaves and then blending the is the job of tasters. Hence both blend into one but a taster may not necessarily be a blender since one could be a connoisseur.    

Most of the tasters have started their carriers with major companies like Lipton, Tetley Tata, Wagh Bakri, Godrej, Dilmah, Harada to name a few.  After having years of tasting various types of leaves from major gardens of the World many of them have moved into selling gourmet brands of their own. Well developed sensory organs assist the masters on road to success.

Big companies like Wagh Bakri have their own master blenders besides the owners being themselves expert at the task. Old companies are manned by experts that have done the job themselves. The big corporates have employees which are very good at the task. Blending is done using various kinds of leaves depending upon the strategy of the processors intended for targeted audience.

A Cup That Cheers

Tea Plucking

Tea Plant

Tea Garden

Many of the experts act a jury at Golden Leaf Awards apart from many other events that highlight the World's finest hot beverages. The consumption of this hot beverage is growing day by day not only green leaf for its health benefit but largely that of black leaf for its fantastic taste and flavor.  
 

Different Tea Choices: Understanding Health Benefits & Flavor Variations

Tea has been one of the oldest beverages drunk up by man for relaxation and comfort. In cold weather a hot brew helps keep body warm and refreshes the mind from the day’s labors. Visit any grocery store and you’re sure to find a lot of tea brands as choices and some herbal infusions claiming to be herbal and healthy.

Do you want regular tea or one with little/no caffeine? Tea that’s classic in its flavor or one that’s infused with myriad other flavors like of fruits, spices or plant parts? You can get the finest blends in packages, loose form and in hygienic bags.

Such is the pull of this deeply flavored leaf that it has entered the cold beverages market with a storm and is fast finding its own niche in form of iced-teas and infused alcohol mixtures.

 Tea: What Is It Really?

You have to remember that only tea made from leaves of Camelia sinensis - a bush that originally grew in Asia and was used by Chinese  in earlier times as digestive tonic.  Other Asians also followed and used the leaves to prepare a hot beverage. .

There are variants of this plant depend on the climates where it is grown, the stage of growth when the leaf is plucked and the leaf size as also the processing it undergoes. So we have tea categorized as white, black, green and oolong.

These also have differing levels of antioxidants and other important ingredients. Green tea for instance has a higher catechin level than what you’d find in black leaf.  But it doesn’t have theaflavins as is found in black tea. Herbal infusions are essentially not considered ‘true’ teas.

 Green Tea: Benefits

The flavor of green leaf is attributed to presence of theanine and its texture is thanks to the catechins present. It is also the theanine that acts as mild relaxant while toning down effects of caffeine that lends a bitter taste to the flavor and helps improve alertness.

 White Tea: Why It Is Good?

White tea happens to have extremely low caffeine levels and is least processed of all the leaves. Great for people wanting to cut down on their caffeine! It is also the least oxidized and helps prevent heart problems, cancers and fight diabetes.

 Oolong Tea: A Digestive Aid

Oolong teas fluctuate in their oxidation levels from 20 to 80% and though higher in oxidation than green leaf have polyphenols which defend body against dementia, cancers and heart issues.

 Pu-erh: Uniquely Processed

Pu-erh tea leaves are the fermented, aged variation of regular leaves which is why it has a high flavonoid content and low caffeine level. Known to break down fats Pu-erh helps your stomach settle down after a heavy meal. You also get a metabolic boost by having this brew. So go on and get energized!

Tea

Popularity of tea all over the world is growing day by day not only for its health benefits but also for the splendid taste that coffee tea carries. The art of tea drinking is engraved in many recipes that are popular all over the world.

The English introduced hot tea beverage in India although the tea plant was native to India, China and many Asian countries। The way tea is consumed in India, China and Japan varies from the way tea drink is consumed in English tea rooms and garden parties।

The hot tea recipe is often simple if you are not adding any exotic spices to the mix. In India ground spices as cardamom, cinnamon and shreds of ginger are more popular additives to the tea recipe when other masalas or spices are added it becomes spice tea or masala chai as is popular in India.

The addition of mint or spearmint, chamomile and other flavors may appeal to a particular segment of tea lovers but in my opinion black and green tea are best had with milk and sugar or for black tea lovers without milk.

Spices or other tea extracts or additives have their own benefits, but the latter rules. For the newbie tea drink lover extra flavoring helps but as he specializes in the art of making tea he develops a taste for tea as brewed plain to get the full benefit of tea leaf.