Tea cocktails that make you tipsy

Beijing Bliss with Malibu and chocolate green tea

Each time we've fancied a cup of warm tea without the accompanying heaviness of the classic chai, it's the Kashmiri kahwa that has come to the rescue with its subtle flavours of whole spices.

On the other hand, when in the mood to swirl, smell, sip and swallow, our go-to spirit has been whiskey. Never did we imagine that the twain shall meet. But, they have at Hill Road's House of Mandarin. Mixologist Pranav Mody has introduced a range of tea cocktails for the first time at the Bandra restaurant.

Spiced Lu contains whiskey, kahwa green tea and cinnamon smoke

The menu features six different flavours such as Eden, a concoction of white rum, mango and litchi green tea; Shanghai Breeze with vodka, creme de cassis and mixed berry green tea; and Beijing Bliss with Malibu and chocolate green tea, among others. It was an idea that was brewing in his brain for long.

"I realised that while we do consume a lot of tea on a daily basis, there wasn't much to talk about when it came to tea cocktails," he says. The fact that teas these days come packed with flavours such as berries, lemongrass, honey-lemon and rose, made it an attractive prospect. "I thought, why not mix it up with the right spirit and give it a buzz at the same time?

Honey Rose made with vodka, rose syrup, lemongrass green tea and honey. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Sufficiently piqued, we began our tasting with Honey Rose, a blend of vodka, rose, lemongrass green tea and honey. Mildly sweet, and smooth on the palate, this drink, we realised, is the right candidate to begin a binge session with. The spirit doesn't strike at the first sip, but gradually gets hold of you by the time you near the end. It's a quality that Mody thoughtfully imbued in the drink.

"To be honest, all six cocktails are potent because they come with 60ml alcohol. Having said that, some might come across as stronger than the rest because of the nature of the ingredients it comes with." A case in point would be the Spiced Lu with whiskey, kahwa green tea and cinnamon smoke. This one is not a crowd-pleaser. It is woody, toasty and with a delicious aroma that partly comes from the aromatic saffron of the kahwa. Most of the drinks are of caramelly hues with varying shades of brown, so it's difficult to tell one from another.

Mixologist Pranav Mody

The Shanghai Breeze, though, is a beautiful crimson, a result of the mixed berries it contains. It might appeal to those who enjoy a pronounced fruitiness in their drink. Be warned, there are many nuances that you will pick through your taste buds from the moment the first drop hits your tongue till you finish the drink.

For Mody, the primary challenge lay in brewing it for the appropriate amount of time. He was soon to learn that even an extra minute can mar the taste, making it bitter. We admit the cocktails take a tad longer than your average drink. But, that's because the teas are brewed and then crafted into a cocktail when you place the order. "It has to be fresh, or else it will lose its aromas and turn bitter," says Mody.

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