by Linda Duverney
Tea-infused spirits are making their way into the cocktail scene. I never knew a tea party could be so much fun…A friend invited a group of us over one evening for a “Tea Party Under the Stars”. The custom has certainly changed; tea time is no longer exclusively at 3:00 in the afternoon. So why not make your next party a tea party with an attitude that everyone will be raving about!
As we walked in the fragrant floral notes, the music and the panoramic view of the city set the stage for what promised to be a most memorable evening. Unlike a usual tea party the table scape was modern and crisp with martini glasses and tumblers filled to the brim with our host signature drink. We knew we were in for something special.
Everything looked fantastic and we couldn’t wait to get started. On the menu she had everything from skewer grilled prosciutto wrapped scallops that had been marinated in Organic Acai White Tea to Spicy Sweet Potato soup made with loose carrot-cake rooibos served in a martini glass. It was unforgettable!
Our host informed us that she prepared everything using her selection of teas from around the world. She told us it was easy to cook with tea and she would give each of us a couple of her recipes to take home with us. And tonight we would be making her signature drink (teatinis) using the tea infusions she found on the internet.
As I looked around, I saw the most elegant dessert table dressed in layers of linen with tiers of Peanut Butter Brownies, Lemon Raspberry Ricotta Cake, and Sweet Lemon Squares all calling my name. I knew my diet was shot! Then our host informs us not to worry that the calories in the cocktails for this evening were made with tea infusions and added zero calories to our drink. They only taste like they do! Then she let us in on her little secret how she keeps her weight down; tea in general is a wonderful tasting beverage and is calorie-free (unless you add sweetener or milk). So for the perfect calorie-free beverage, do as I do and choose tea.
At the end of a marvelous evening our host handed us one of those adorable tea infusion sachet as her party favor and told us we could begin cutting calories in all our mixed drinks without suffering a loss of flavor!
She let us choose from flavors such as Lavender Citrus, Silkroad Chai and Lemongrass Mint. For an added twist for your next party create your own signature drink with the tea infusions found on the internet.
Create your own signature drink with tea-infusions found on http://www.ILoveMyTeas.com
Do you have a tea drink recipe that would be perfect under the stars? Post it here in the comments!