Brew And Ice And Everything Nice: My Enduring Effort To Bring High Teas Back In Vogue
One of the most interesting aspects of the holiday season is being able to host guests at nearly any hour of the day. And in summers, the late afternoon hours which morph into a glorious dusk before the sky turns dark are some of the most beautiful moments for me for home hosting such gatherings.
From the days of the classics to early 20th century cultures, high teas and afternoon repasts have been some of the most interesting spaces for entertaining one’s most intimate friends and for making new acquaintances. I mean, who can ever forget the amount of teas Jane Austen’s Mrs. Bennett would send her young daughters to, to scout for the perfect Mr. Darcy?
Bringing these high teas and afternoon repasts back into vogue has been a passionate exercise for my home hosting-self, and has been all about organising evenings complete with light bites and of course, freshly blended cocktails that are a mix of brewed concoctions, spirits and mixers. And this writer is here to tell you that such an afternoon gathering is a recipe for hosting one of the most sophisticated society affairs during the social season.
‘Chai Pe Charcha’
For me and many women across different social spheres, this tea time remains a coveted space, it is one of those moments in a day when we can sit down and take a breath, even during vacations filled with one too many social commitments. I have often brought together some of my closest girlfriends, sisters and cousins over a table laden with finger sandwiches, rolls, devilled eggs, croissants and so many more small bites to discuss our latest life updates – and the drama du jour in our families!
And making these couple of hours special can be possible by brewing a pot of warm tea which can be used to prepare cocktails and mocktails at this early evening hour. One such drink which comes to mind is a spiced rum masala chai that can be crafted using about 60 ml warm, freshly brewed tea that is blended with 30 ml good quality spiced rum.
Iced Coffees For The Transgressors
Through centuries, tea time has been about sipping on warm tea and taking a bite of fresh biscuits, crisps and a cake or two. Yet, my idea of an afternoon tea break is sharing an iced coffee with my best girlies while taking a bite of an egg sandwich!
For such coffee aficionados heading over to tea, blend an espresso martini cocktail made using freshly brewed espresso and about 30 ml Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice. Along with this, another iced drink which would lend this evening an even more of a luxe edge is a slushie made using 30 ml good quality bourbon and just a hint of aromatic espresso.
Sunset Spirits
One of the reasons high teas or late afternoon social gatherings remain so special is because this is the time of the day when the sky becomes a mix of a lot of different deep colours. Such a light falling over the cityscape, experienced while having a bite of a cream filled bagel is perhaps one of the finest moments in summer weather.
This is also a good enough hour to have an aperitif infused with tea or coffee, which can be sipped on until it is time for dinner. Preparing a vanilla chai white russian by bringing together 30 ml Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice and just about half a teaspoon of vanilla essence and 15 ml of freshly brewed tea is one such alternative for an evening time aperitif. Another that is among this coffee aficionado’s latest recommendation is a cold brew negroni which carries a lot of tart and sweet flavours that pair exceedingly well with tea time munchies.
Also Read: Espresso Martini Cocktail: The Best Coffee Beans & Brew Methods For An Authentic Drink
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
