Tea concentrates are an incredibly versatile way to enjoy tea, especially when you’re serving a crowd, crafting unique beverages, or creating bold flavors for lattes, cocktails, and mocktails. With a little know-how and a touch of creativity, tea concentrates can transform the way you serve and enjoy tea.
Why Use Tea Concentrates?
Tea concentrates pack all the rich flavor of a full steep into a smaller amount of water. This method makes it easy to:
- Prepare large batches of tea quickly and consistently
- Create strong, flavorful bases for lattes
- Add depth to cocktails and mocktails
- Serve tea in unique and upscale ways, like wine or champagne service
Plus, they’re easy to make with a little math and some smart steeping.
Making Tea Concentrate for a Crowd
Need to make tea for a group? Tea concentrate is your friend. Here’s our go-to method:
We work with the general rule that 1 oz of tea makes 1 gallon of finished tea. The key isn’t the amount of water used to steep initially, but that the tea leaves are fully steeped and have room to expand. You can start by steeping a smaller volume—say, in a tea press or teapot—as long as your tea leaves are properly saturated. Once the concentrate is made, dilute it in a larger container to yield the full gallon. This ensures consistent flavor in every cup.
Flash-Chilled Iced Tea with Concentrates
Our team uses this same principle in our shop to create made-to-order iced teas on the fly:
- Steep the tea in just enough hot, filtered water to cover the leaves.
- Steep for the full recommended time based on the tea type.
- Pour the concentrate directly over ice.
The hot tea melts some of the ice instantly, cooling it rapidly. We top it off with more ice for a perfectly flash-chilled, flavorful iced tea—ideal for busy summer days or tea on the go.
Tea Concentrates for Lattes
Just like an espresso latte uses a shot (or two) of concentrated coffee, tea lattes start with a strong tea base. When making lattes:
- Double the amount of tea leaves
- Reduce the steeping water
- Steep for full strength
The result is a bold tea concentrate that can hold its own against milk, whether dairy or non-dairy. We then add frothed milk and any additional flavors the customer desires. The final beverage is rich, satisfying, and packed with the flavor and health benefits of real tea.
Crafting Tea-Based Cocktails & Mocktails
Tea is an excellent ingredient in cocktails and mocktails thanks to its complex flavor profiles. To match or complement the strength of alcohol, juices, syrups, and garnishes, you’ll want a strong concentrate.
We use a 1:1 ratio by weight—that’s 1 gram of tea per 1 oz of water—for a full-flavored concentrate. (Measuring by weight is key, as some teas are fluffy while others are dense, and weight keeps things consistent.)
For mocktails, bitter notes from oversteeping are actually a plus—they add body and nuance to the drink. Most teas and herbals can be steeped in boiling water, even beyond their typical steep time, to get that extra punch of flavor.
Showstopper Mocktail: Blue Twilight Sparkle
One of our favorite recipes uses our Blue Passion Herbal to create a stunning mocktail called Blue Twilight Sparkle. When serving this in front of an audience, we like to pre-make a Blue Passion Herbal Syrup and pour it into a clear flip-top bottle. This not only adds visual appeal but also makes serving quick and elegant.
Final Thoughts
Tea concentrates offer a creative and practical way to serve delicious beverages—whether you’re throwing a party or experimenting at home. From lattes to mocktails, the possibilities are endless, and the results are always steeped in flavor.
Ready to try it yourself? Grab your favorite tea and start experimenting—you might just invent your new go-to drink!
