Tea Mocktail Collection

Mocktails left to right: Hellbender Highball, Sencha Sunrise, Matcha Mojito

I never thought I’d be the type to get into tea mocktails, especially since I typically drink my tea hot with no additions even in the deepest summer. Over the past few months, however, I’ve been playing with recipes that use tea as the base instead of alcohol, and they’ve become some of my favorite drinks to share at pop-up events. Perhaps it’s not surprising that tea has just as much personality in a highball glass as it does in a teapot.

Each of these mocktails starts with a tea concentrate, then gets dressed up with syrups, fresh juice, or sparkling water. They’re refreshing, layered, and always a little unexpected—especially if you’ve only ever thought of tea as something to sip hot. I love that they can be made ahead in larger batches, so they’re easy to pour when you’ve got company… or just when you want something a little more fun than water on a weeknight.

Here are the mocktails I’ve worked on so far. Each one links to a full recipe if you want to try making them at home:

• Hellbender Highball
  A nutty buckwheat tea (Dattan Sobacha) highball with brown sugar, yuzu, and a touch of salt. Caffeine-free and smooth enough to drink any time of day.

• Matcha Mojito
  Kukicha, lime, mint, and matcha come together in a bright, tangy twist on the classic mojito. Probably my most popular mocktail at pop-ups this summer.

• Sencha Sunrise
  Purple Sencha blended with lime, ginger, and chili for a mule-inspired drink that shifts from purple to fuchsia when the citrus hits.

I’ll keep adding to this list as I craft new ones. In the meantime, I hope you’ll try one (or all three!) and let me know what you think.