Drinking under the influence of Tea

Tea is a beverage that warms the heart and soothes the soul. It is a source of comfort when you wake up in the morning, it's a pick me up in the middle of the day and an evening wind down relaxation ritual. Tea has been a beloved refreshment for thousands of years. Hot or cold, it is the drink of choice for many. In this day and age, there are so many options and flavors available at the click of a button. During these trying times with the Corona Virus sweeping the world, people are anxious and afraid. Being told to stay home can be tricky. I myself have gained weight just from boredom but I am so relieved to know that many tea companies are still up and running. I have ordered a few different teas to try while I am hunkered down at home. Hoping to curb my eating, I have now turned to drinking.... but my drink of choice won’t get me in trouble with the law.

Since we are all stuck at home, alcohol seems like a great choice for the boredom. I have read funny posts on social media about drinking while quarantined. There’s nothing wrong with that in moderation but alcohol can add lots of calories to your daily diet. There are many teas that mimic alcohol flavors. One such tea is Harney and Sons Black Cast Bourbon Tea. The ingredients are: black tea, lapsang souchong, bourbon flavors and natural flavors. I was very curious as to see how this tea would taste so I ordered some.

When I opened the bag, the aroma was a strong Bourbon. It was like I just opened a bottle of 90 proof alcohol. But, no worries, you won’t get drunk drinking this tea...only tea drunk. I am not a big drinker, I prefer the sweet fruity drinks but I can handle a shot of bourbon from time to time. This tea was over the top for me. I don’t like smoked flavors and this was full out smokey. If you like bourbon and smokey flavors, you will love this tea. I can see someone sitting by the fire with a cigar drinking a nice hot cup of this tea. Best to sip it slowly and savor the taste. My only regret was I should have ordered a sample bag first.

Another tea company called Fusion Teas has a few flavors with wine in mind. These tea flavors mimic the taste of some wines and champagne. This time I purchased a few sample bags to see if they did taste like their adult flavored counterparts.

“Raspberry Champagne” - white tea; tasting notes: sweet and slightly tart, light

“Peach Vinyard” - black tea; tasting notes: nectarous, bold, fruity.

“Honey Mead” - black tea; tasting notes: honey, ice wine, gardenia

“Very Velvet” - oolong tea; tasting notes: smooth, savory, floral, fruity.

The teas were very pleasant. I wouldn’t say that they tasted like a glass of wine but they had some lovely fruit and floral notes that would pair wonderfully with a fruit and cheese platter or maybe some chocolate covered strawberries. The Honey Mead tea was especially nice because they had little pieces of dried apple in the tea and I ate a few of them dry.

Finding teas for different occasions or situations like the one we are all experiencing now can make your day a bit brighter. Since we are stuck at home, cooking and baking have become an essential part of our present lives. I am enjoying the task of pairing teas with the foods my family and I are eating each day. It helps beat the doldrums and offer a healthy alternative.

Stay safe and healthy my friends. Maybe this is a great time to give some different teas a try. Buy teas from companies that offer sample packs. It is much more cost effective and you can try numerous flavors before committing to a larger purchase.