These days, there’s a lot of talk about tea parties; sadly, most of them have nothing to do with drinks. But it got us thinking about what else you can do with tea leaves besides brewing up a pot.

For years, people got by on steaming cups of Lipton with milk and sugar or a squeeze of lemon, but there’s now a huge variety of both bagged and loose teas available in grocery stores, not to mention the impressive selection of artisanal and rare teas from around the world in specialty boutiques. Some innovative distillers have even begun using camellia sinensis to flavor their spirits, like the tasty Beefeater 24, whose mix of botanicals includes both Chinese green and Japanese sencha teas.

Bartenders across the country are also using tea to give their cocktails an added depth and complexity. We asked Allen Katz, a Liquor.com advisor, director of mixology & spirits education for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York and committed tea drinker, for two creative cocktail recipes featuring the historic beverage. So, call some friends and shake up his refreshing tequila, pear liqueur and hibiscus tea A Puebla and his autumnal gin, cinnamon, cranberry, apple and black tea Goldwyn Follies (pictured above). Now that’s what we call a tea party.

A Puebla

Contributed by: Allen Katz

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Reposado tequila
• .75 oz Pear liqueur
• 1 oz Brewed hibiscus tea, chilled
• .5 oz Fresh lime juice
• Garnish: 3 Thin pear slices
• Glass: Cocktail

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fan of three thin pear slices floated in the center of the drink.

The Goldwyn Follies

Contributed by: Allen Katz

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 oz Gin
• .5 oz Cinnamon Syrup*
• 1 oz Apple juice
• 1 oz Cranberry juice
• 1 oz Brewed black tea, chilled
• Garnish: Thin apple slices
• Glass: Cocktail or coupe

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail or coupe glass. Garnish with thin apple slices.

*Cinnamon Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 to 3 Cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 5 oz Sugar
• 5 oz Water

PREPARATION:
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for at least six hours. Strain, and store in the refrigerator.