5 Tea-licious Mocktail Recipes You Have Got To Try
Tea-based mocktails are the most versatile among non-alcoholic drinks. Tea is known to be healthy and full of antioxidants. Tea-based beverages can be made to cool down a hot summer and warm up during icy winters. It is the go-to drink when you can't have or don't want to have an alcoholic beverage, as the astringent nature of brewed tea gives the beverage a taste similar to liquors.
Tea-based mocktails are perfect when you have an event at your home and some of your guests are teetotalers. A tea-based beverage can provide all the fun of a cocktail –- taste, texture, freshness, warmth or chill. So let's have a look at some tea-licious mocktail recipes:
1. Matcha Sour
This mocktail is so delicious and good for health, you can have one everyday!
Ingredients
120 ml Matcha tea, brewed and cooled
60 ml Ginger beer
30 ml Honey syrup
30 ml Fresh lime juice
1 Egg white* (optional)
Ice cubes
Julienned lime zest for garnish
Mint leaves, for garnish
Method
For the honey syrup
Take a saucepan, and add one part honey and one part water to it. Bring it to a simmer and stir it till it combines. Turn off the heat, pour the syrup in a bottle. You can refrigerate the honey syrup for a month. It is believed to be healthier than processed sugar.
For the mocktail
Take a cocktail shaker and add matcha, ginger beer, honey syrup, and lime juice. Mix until the contents combine. Add ice cubes and egg white (optional). Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain the mixture to remove the ice and again put it in the shaker mix vigorously to emulsify the egg (skip if you didn't use the egg white). Strain into a tall glass and add ice cubes. Stir the mocktail before serving to ensure matcha is well combined in the drink. Garnish with lime zest and mint leaves.
2. Apple Cinnamon Chai Mocktail
Chai is a beloved drink in South Asia and has recently gained fame on international shores as well. Enjoy the spicy and fruity flavours of this delicious drink.
Ingredients
120 ml of Root tea blend, brewed and cooled
60 ml cup Apple juice
30 ml Lemon juice
30 ml Ginger beer
2 Cinnamon sticks
4 Cardamom pods
1 teaspoon Honey or Agave nectar
Ice cubes
1 Cinnamon stick for garnish
1 Lemon slice for garnish
Method
Brew the tea with cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods. Steep it for at least 10 minutes, the longer you steep, the spicier the tea will get. Keep it aside for cooking. Strain the tea into a cocktail shaker and add ice cubes. Add apple juice, ginger beer, lemon juice, and honey or agave nectar. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and strain into a serving glass with ice cubes.
3. Green Tea Mai Tai
A fruity green tea whose flavours take you to a sunny island! Enjoy this pineapple-centric drink.
Ingredients
120 ml Sencha green tea, brewed and cooled
60 ml Pineapple juice
30 ml Lime juice
30 ml Soda water or Sparkling water
1 tbsp of honey or agave nectar
Crushed ice
Pineapple wedge for garnish
Mint leaves for garnish
Method
Take a cocktail shaker and add Sencha green tea, pineapple juice, lime juice, honey or agave nectar and ice cubes. Shake well for 10 seconds. Fill a serving glass half with crushed ice and strain the mocktail over it. Top with sparkling water or soda water. Stir gently and garnish with pineapple wedge and mint leaves.
4. Minty Hibiscus Tea Mocktail
A tarty and refreshing drink that will recharge you without the need to indulge in caffeine.
Ingredients
120 ml Rooibos hibiscus tea, brewed and cooled
60 ml Raspberry or Cranberry juice
30 ml Tonic water
30 ml Lemon juice
1 lime, quartered
60 gm Fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs and hibiscus flowers for garnish
Method
Muddle lime quarters, mint leaves and honey or agave nectar in a serving glass. Combine tea, lemon juice and ice cubes in a shaker. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain the cocktail over the muddled contents. Top with tonic water and stir. Garnish using mint leaves and hibiscus flowers
5. Strawberry and Basil Tea Mocktail
This mocktail is a delightful combination of sweet and tarty, sour and herbal. Here's how you make it.
Ingredients
120 ml Earl Grey tea, brewed and cooled
60 ml Strawberry juice
60 gm Sliced strawberries
60 gm Basil leaves
1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup
Ice cubes
A squeeze of Lime juice
A crack of Black pepper
Lime wedge, for garnish
Method
Make sure your tea is brewed strongly. First, use a blender to combine strawberries and basil leaves. Blend them until they are smooth. Strain the mixture into a shaker and add ice cubes. Add the tea, strawberry juice and honey or agave nectar. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a serving glass over ice cubes. Top it with lime juice and a crack of black pepper. Stir gently. Garnish using the lime wedge.
