Good, Clean Real: How to make a tea cocktail from scratch, and a few favorite recipes

Feeling a little DIY? Brewing tea cocktails from scratch is a fun, rewarding non-cooking, slightly boozy way to spend time in your kitchen. Fun fact, it's also how Jennie and Maria started Owl's Brew! They were brewing tea cocktails from scratch for friends and events.

Here are a few tips!

• We prefer a cold brew method to hot brew — you don’t run the risk of over brewing, and your cocktail chills much faster

• We always say stir or dry shake — the reason you shouldn’t shake our DIY blends with ice is that tea is delicate, and a lot of shaking will quickly dilute the cocktails.

• The recipes (adapted from our book, Wise Cocktails, sometimes use more base than is necessary for the cocktail. That is because when you remove the tea bag, some of the water will be lost. Sip it up! It’s just as beneficial dry as boozy.

White Arnold

(yields two cocktails, serve in 8oz glass)

Ingredients

• Tea Base

• 12oz water

• 2 teaspoon white tea

• 1 teaspoon rose petals

• 1 teaspoon dried strawberries

• Or…find fresh strawberries and add them to the water to brew with the tea

• Pinch of lemon peel

• 3oz Vodka

• 3 Tablespoon of sweetener (we like cane sugar)

• Garnish: Lemon slice or muddled strawberries

Instructions

• Fill a cup or pitcher with12 ounces of room-temperature (not cold) water.

• In a tea linen or tea ball, combine all ingredients in the tea base. Brew in the water for 10 minutes, agitating from time to time. Remove linen/bag.

• In a shaker, combine the tea base, vodka, and sweetener. Dry shake (no ice). Strain and pour into glass over. Swirl gently to chill. Squeeze of fresh lemon

Cinco de Mayo

Ingredients

(yields one cocktail, serve in 8oz coupe glass )

Tea Base

• 9oz room temperature water

• 1 teaspoon green tea

• 1 teaspoon yerba mate

• 1 teaspoon dried peach

• 1 teaspoon dried ginger

• Opt for fresh peaches & muddle them into the shaker before adding the tea, instead of brewing them in the tea base…

• 3oz tequila

• 2 tablespoon agave

• Garnish: Fresh ginger

Instructions

• Fill cup or pitcher with water

• Add tea base

• Place your tea linen in the water for 10 minutes, agitating from time to time.

• Remove linen/bag.

• In a shaker, combine 4.5oz of tea base, agave and mezcal. Dry shake until agave is dissolved. Pour over ice into coupe glass and gently swirl to chill.

• Garnish with fresh ginger.

The Prohibition Classic

(yields two cocktail, serve in 8oz rocks glass)

Ingredients

Tea Base*

• 9oz Water

• 3 teaspoon Earl Grey Tea

• Half teaspoon lavender

• 3oz vodka

• 1 oz elderflower liqueur

• Garnish: Fresh lemon slice

Instructions

• Fill cup with room-temperature (not cold) water.

• Add tea base

• Brew in the room temperature water for 10 minutes, agitating from time to time. Remove linen/bag.

• In a shaker, combine brewed tea base, vodka and elderflower liqueur. Shake gently. Strain and pour over ice into rocks glass. Swirl and garnish with lemon slice.

Speakeasy Special*

(yields two cocktails, serve in 8oz champagne glass)

Ingredients

Tea Base

• 12oz Water

• 1 teaspoon Lemon Verbena

• 1 teaspoon dried ginger

• In a pinch, sub in grated fresh ginger!

• 6oz prosecco

• 1oz Ginger Liqueur

Instructions

• Fill cup or pitcher with 12oz room temperature water.

• You will only use 6oz for the tea base in this recipe, but it is always good to make a little extra.

• Add tea base

• Brew in water for 10 minutes, agitating from time to time. Remove linen/bag.

• Measure 3oz of your tea base and ginger liqueur, and pour into shaker. Dry shake. Add ice and stir gently to chill.

• Pour 3oz of the tea base into a champagne flute and top with prosecco.

• Swirl again.

For more DIY teas and tea cocktails, check our our book Wise Cocktails! For a less DIY experience, try mixing up a drink with our tea based cocktail mixer!

Photo credit, Tina Rupp