Tea-Infused Cocktails Are Trending—Here’s How to Make Your Own at Home

Welcome to Behind the Bar with Julia—a running list of cocktail curiosities, mixology musings, and whatever I’m sipping lately. This week’s all about Tea Cocktails

Turns out tea isn’t just for sipping anymore—it’s showing up in cocktails everywhere. Whether it’s the rise of nonalcoholic alternatives or a renewed love for botanical flavors, tea adds depth without extra sweetness, making it perfect for both cocktails and mocktails.

If you’re looking to stock your bar cart, Absolut Wild Tea is a black tea-and-elderflower-infused vodka, while Empress Indigo Gin gets its striking purple hue from butterfly pea flower (bonus: it turns pink with lemon juice!)—a nod to classic afternoon tea service.

The best part? It’s incredibly easy to hop on this trend at home. Whether you’re chilling fresh-brewed tea for mixing, infusing liquor with loose leaves (think chamomile gin or Earl Grey bourbon), or whipping up a simple syrup, tea brings a unique layer of flavor to your drinks. Read on for tips, infusion methods, and 20+ recipes to get started.

Jump to:

Best Tea & Spirit Pairings How to Make Tea Syrups How to Infuse Liquor with Tea 24 Tea Cocktail Recipes to Try

Three Ways to Use Tea in Cocktails

1. Brewed Tea: Simply add freshly brewed and chilled tea to your cocktail for a light infusion. A chilled hibiscus tea makes for a tart, ruby-colored spritz, while a strong black tea works beautifully in whiskey-based drinks.

2. Tea-Infused Spirits: Steep tea directly in vodka, gin, or whiskey for a few hours to create a subtle, aromatic infusion (instructions below).

3. Homemade Tea Syrups: Combine brewed tea with sugar (or honey) for a quick syrup that adds both sweetness and complexity to cocktails (instruction and recipes below).

Best Tea & Spirit Pairings

Tea isn’t just for sipping—it pairs wonderfully with spirits to create unforgettable drinks! Whether you're into timeless classics or trying something fresh, here are some flavor combos that will elevate your cocktail game:

How to Make Tea Syrups

Making a tea syrup is as easy as making any simple syrup. Here’s the basic formula:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar (or honey for a richer syrup)

2-4 tea bags (or 1-2 tablespoons loose tea)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil (use the same temperature you’d normally steep tea at).

2. Remove from heat, add tea, and steep for 3-5 minutes.

3. Strain out tea leaves or remove bags.

4. Return liquid to heat and bring to a rolling boil.

5. Stir in sugar until dissolved.

6. Add optional extras like a pinch of sea salt, vanilla extract, or other flavor enhancers.

7. Let cool completely and store in a glass bottle. (Syrups last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.)

Tea Syrup Flavor Variations:

• Butterfly Pea Tea Syrup: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp dried pea flower or 2 tea bags

• Black Tea Syrup: 1 cup water, 1 cup brown sugar, 4 Earl Grey tea bags

• Chamomile Tea Syrup: 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, 2 chamomile tea bags

• Green Tea Matcha Syrup: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp matcha powder or 3 green tea bags

• Chai Syrup: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1-2 tbsp chai mix or chai spices

How to Infuse Liquor with Tea

Tea-infused spirits add incredible depth and character to cocktails. The process is simple:

• For a full bottle (750ml): Use about 15 tea bags.

• For a smaller batch (8oz): Use about 2 teaspoons dried tea.

Earl Grey Tea-Infused Gin Recipe:

1. Add 15 Earl Grey tea bags to one bottle of gin.

2. Let steep for up to 1 hour, tasting periodically to avoid over-extraction.

3. Remove tea bags, squeezing out excess gin.

4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if needed.

5. Store and use in martinis, gin & tonics, or other cocktails.

24 Tea Cocktail Recipes to Try

1. White Lotus Arrival Cocktail

White tea-infused vodka, honey syrup, pineapple juice

2. Sherlock Watson

Earl grey honey syrup, scotch (or bourbon), lemon juice

3. Dirty Chai Martinis

Vodka, coffee liquor, chai concentrate—could also add homemade chai syrup

4. Peach Earl Grey Julep

Black tea syrup, bourbon, and peach

5. Earl Grey Vodkatini

Regular martini but with earl grey-infused vodka

6. Blue Hill’s Whey Punch

Whey punch using Earl Grey tea-infused gin

7. Bellini Tea Cocktail

Peach tea, rum, lemon juice

8. New G&T: Gin and Earl Grey Tea

Freshly brewed earl grey tea, gin, and maple

9. Rosemary Grapefruit Milk Punch

Milk punch using green tea and rosemary simple syrup

10. Smoked Earl Grey Tea Cocktail

Smoked earl grey tea and ginger liquor

11. True Blueberry Tea Cocktail

Earl grey tea, amaretto, orange, blueberry juice

12. Blackberry Chamomile Sparkler

Chilled chamomile tea, blackberry honey syrup

13. Tea & Whisky Highball from Johnnie Walker

Whiskey, homemade chai syrup

14. The Kenny Cocktail with Black Tea and Pomegranate Juice

Fresh black tea, pomegranate juice, blueberries

15. Last Call

Jasmine green tea, vodka, ginger liqueur

16. Tea Time Blueberry Bourbon Cocktail

Fresh mint, bourbon, blueberry, black tea, sparkling rosé

17. Snapple Shop Tea Cocktail

Peach tea, whiskey, lemon honey

18. Nettle Tea Mojitos (NA option)

Nettle tea, honey, sparkling water, mint—could add white rum or sub any herbal or white tea

19. Smoked Honey Penicillin

Smoky honey tea syrup, fresh ginger, lemon

20. Reviver Royale

Grapefruit, Jasmine & Green Tea Syrup, sparkling NA or regular wine, lime juice

21. Spiced Pecan Margarita

Pecan and tea orgeat, tequila and lime juice

22. Mr. Darcy

Chilled Earl grey tea, vodka, elderflower syrup

23. Tokyo Geisha

Ginger tea, Midori, lemon

24. Strawberry Hills Cocktail

Earl grey tea syrup, Lambrusco, strawberry, balsamic

What’s your favorite tea to mix into cocktails?