One of the savviest restaurant servers I've ever had was the fabulous woman who, after hearing us nix our young daughter's request for soda, charmed our daughter by asking if she instead wanted "H2O on the rocks." Wow, would she ever! Our daughter was absolutely thrilled, especially when the iced water arrived in a fancy … Continue reading Getting Great Tea into Restaurant Menus
Tea cocktails are quite the rage these days, with good reason! Tea's complexity and astringency—along with the dizzying number of teas available—make it a natural when combined with alcohol. (See my earlier post about blending.) However, there is nothing 21st-century about using tea in boozy drinks. Granted, the word "cocktail" was coined as recently as … Continue reading Alcohol + Tea = Delightful!
So finally I'm getting to the good stuff, the actual tea cocktails! Phil of Mammoth Distilling and Lisa of TeaHaus concocted five fantastic cocktails, all including tea. These drinks were first introduced at Mammoth's Traverse City location, at a TeaHaus Takeover event. A tasting at TeaHaus followed, with light food paired to each cocktail—and tea … Continue reading Tea Cocktails, Part 4: Paired with Food
For most of us, aging is not something that we happily embrace. For many liquors, however, aging and maturation are not only required—they're transformative, creating something fine, valuable, even rare. And as with all the previous steps I've looked at in the alcohol producing and distillation processes, aging and maturation are both science and art. … Continue reading Tea Cocktails, Part 3: Aging the Alcohol
The more you know about something, chances are the more you appreciate it. For me, I've never been much for distilled liquors, generally preferring a glass of wine. However, after watching Phil of Mammoth Distilling and Lisa of TeaHaus concoct incredible tea cocktails (see Part 1 for intro) and then having a tour of Mammoth Distilling, I've … Continue reading Tea Cocktails, Part 2: Producing the Alcohol
Follow the recipe? Or make it up as you go? When I find, for instance, a recipe that results in a killer cake, I can happily make it forever with little change. Why mess it up? But this sort of mindset doesn't advance culinary innovation. And it also runs counter to our own human nature. As Professor … Continue reading Tea Cocktails, Part 1: The Blending
It's More Than Tea 