Unveiling Absolut Boston

When I first heard that Absolut was unveiling a new flavor "based" on Boston, all I could think of was the creative Absolut ads that people used to collect when I was in high school, including this one titled Absolut Boston. From that ad, it was clear that Boston=tea in many people's minds, and that idea has continued with this new black tea elderflower flavor. The whole concept of city-based flavors (Boston is the third, after New Orleans and Los Angeles) still seems a little odd to me, but who am I to argue when it tastes great?

To celebrate the launch of this new flavor, Absolut asked some famous Bostonians for their favorite Boston moments, and they have displayed them all on a Wall of Pride in front of the Prudential Center. Amy Poehler's (above) made me laugh out loud, because I've spent way too much time at the Burlington Mall (by the way, the Burlington Mall is one of only two MA locations of Chick-Fil-A - yum!). The wall will be up on Boylston Street until September 4th, after which the tiles will be auctioned off (with the money raised going to the Charles River Conservancy). You can see all the tiles up close on the auction page. Absolut and Horizon Beverages (MA distributor of Absolut) are also donating proceeds to the Charles River Conservancy.

After the unveiling of the wall, we headed to Stephanie's on Newbury to actually try the new vodka. They mixed up three different cocktails, and I was surprised at how versatile the black tea and elderflower flavors were. My favorite drink was the Boston Tea Party, which tasted primarily of black tea. I also enjoyed the Homerun, which tasted much more strongly of elderflower. The third choice, a mojito, just tasted like a mojito. There are 14 different cocktail recipes available on the Absolut Boston Facebook page, but my favorite, the Boston Tea Party, is below.

Absolut Boston Tea Party
3 parts Absolut Boston
2 parts lemon juice
1 part simple syrup

Shake Absolut Boston, lemon juice, and simple syrup over ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Jasmine Iced Tea Sangria

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend a class on iced teas and tea sangrias at the Park Plaza. The Park Plaza is one of the many places in Boston to treat yourself to afternoon tea, but it is the only place with a tea sommelier, Cynthia Gold, who will walk you through the tea choices and find the right blend for you. She also offers Tea 101 classes, complementary looks into brewing and enjoying teas.

When I first signed up for this class, I thought the focus was going to be primarily iced teas. But we focused rather intently (at least for the first half of the class) on sangrias featuring iced teas. I didn’t think I was going to be a big fan – at least, until I actually tasted it. From the first sip, I couldn’t help but think that this would be a light and refreshing summer drink, and I knew I would be mixing up a batch soon. And although we were given some recipes to follow, the class was really more about learning the guidelines of how to brew a good tea and how to match flavors to make a tasty sangria.

In general, white and green teas pair better with white wines, while black tea pairs better with red wines. Keep the wines light – we used Rieslings in-class, and since Rieslings are my favorite, I was quite happy. Lighter fruits, like nectarines and apples, also work well with white wines, while berries are a little better suited to reds (although I added berries to my white and loved the flavor). And steep the fruit in the brandy overnight to make them thoroughly boozy.

Jasmine Iced Tea Sangria

Summer fruits, sliced thin (I used one white nectarine, one plum, and handful of blueberries, and a few pitted cherries, but try whatever you have on hand)
Brandy
2 Tbsp loose jasmine tea (I used this lovely tea from Tealuxe) or 6 tea bags
3 ½ cups hot water (not boiling, about 175 °)
1 bottle Riesling, chilled
Simple syrup (I had rhubarb syrup on hand, which added another nice layer of fruitiness)

Place the fruit in a jar or a bowl and cover with brandy. Give the fruit a good stir, then cover and let sit overnight.

In a heat-proof pitcher or measuring cup, add hot water to the tea and let steep for 3 minutes. Too hot and the tea will taste dull; too long and the tea will taste bitter. Strain leaves from the liquid, the chill tea until cold.

In a large pitcher, combine fruit (drain off brandy, although you may want to add a tablespoon or two to the finished product), tea, and wine. Add simple syrup to taste, and stir.

Starbucks Tea Party

A while ago, I mentioned that I was enjoying the new tea drinks at Starbucks. What I didn't mention, though, was that I was so enjoying the London Fog latte that I couldn't convince myself to order any of the others, so I had no idea what they tasted like.

Luckily for me, not long after, I was invited to a tea tasting at Starbucks, an event with the sole intention of getting Boston-area bloggers to try all the new tea drink flavors. I was joined by many different local blogs - The Boston Teacup, Yogurt and Berries, Tri 2 Cook, Carrots 'N' Cake, Healthy and Sane, and The Boston Foodie- and we all enjoyed the chance to taste lots of delicious goodies and talk about blogging. We were also lucky to be joined by Missy Franklin, a local Starbucks tea and coffee master, who walked us through our tasting.

We started with the lattes - full-leaf tea bags, steeped in water, sweetened with syrup (simple or vanilla), and topped with steamed milk (water to milk ratio is 1:1). They're all ready to drink as soon as they're handed to you, but I preferred to let them steep a while longer for a more intense taste.

The Black Tea Latte was simple and comforting - the tea version of a regular espresso latte. The tea is a bit sweet and tart, like caramel and black cherries. Understandably, it pairs well with the apple bran muffins, which are studded with sour cherries - the tart and sweet from the fruit really does bring out those similar flavors in the drink. We also paired it with slices of lemon loaf, which is bursting with lemon flavor - yum!

The London Fog Latte was next, and the only one I was familiar with. The tea used in this is slightly different than the regular Earl Grey bags used for cups of tea - they include lavender on top of the bergamot, which always makes for a richer flavor (at least, for me). Because they add vanilla syrup to this one, it had a broader sweetness, and the lavender gives it more of a floral taste. We paired this one with raspberry and mini vanilla scones. The vanilla scones are drier and sweeter, while the raspberry scones have a great tangy flavor (from both the dough and the berries) and a bit of crunch from the sugar topping.

Next up was the Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte. Rooibus (pronounced ROY-bus) is fruity, with a little bit of spice, and it's a great caffeine-free alternative to chai. It had a great honey aroma, which Missy informed us was coming from the combination of the vanilla and the mix of spices. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, especially considering that caffeine is usually a big factor in my wanting a latte :) But the fruitiness melded really well with the milk, forming a light but flavorful treat. This one was paired with red velvet cupcakes - who doesn't love a red velvet cupcake?

We then moved on to the tea infusions, which blended chai concentrate with rich juices. The Berry Chai Infusion was a burst of berries, currents, and spice, and after one person remarked that it tasted like mulled wine, that was pretty much all I could taste. The Apple Chair Infusion is similar, with the chai blended with sweet apple juice - this one tasted like a spicier version of the steamed cider that Starbucks offers in the fall. Neither of these were really my "cup of tea" (if you will) because I'm not a fan of the spiciness of the chai. We paired with Berry infusion with blueberry and cinnamon coffee cakes, but they'd work well with anything containing fruits or spices. The Apple infusion was paired with an apple fritter, which I absolutely loved - apple donuts? Yes please!

So thanks to Starbucks for introducing me to all the new tea flavors that they have on hand. The funny thing is, though, that I think the London Fog is still my favorite, and I'll definitely keep ordering that one.

Boston Tea Stop, Harvard Square

Let me preface this post by saying I know very little about boba tea - only what I like. I tend to favor more floral flavors, and I can't stomach an entire serving of the little black tapioca pearls. When I first tried the stuff during college, the pearls were too rubbery, and all I could taste was a fake-sweet fruitiness that turned me off.

Luckily, it didn't take me too long to find some better places for bubble tea. During college, it was Tapicha in Porter Exchange - I would walk over to Porter Square on nice days to grab a lychee tea with half pearls/half coconut jelly.

Not too long after, Boston Tea Stop opened in Harvard Square (first by where the busses sit before starting their routes, now on JFK St, across from the Staples). I was enamored by their name and their quirky version of the MBTA's train map done with tea flavors instead of stations (this used to be on their website, which no longer exists). And then, I found out they stock rose-flavoring, and I was in love.


So my standard order at Boston Tea Stop is a black tea with rose flower and half pearls/half lychee jelly. They have so many choices that it can be hard to decide, but I hate to waver from my favorite. They offer teas in black or green, with or without milk, hot or cold or frozen. In addition to the bubble teas, they also serve dumplings (which I haven't tried, but about which I've heard good things) and a wide variety of mochi ice cream (or flesh balls, as my friend April termed them).

Sadly, I'm not in Harvard Square very often, but when I am, I try to fit in a visit to Boston Tea Stop.

How do you order your bubble tea?

Tea at the Taj

There are few things in Boston more regal and pampering than afternoon tea at the Taj Hotel. A harp plays, and sunlight streams through the tall windows as a perfect cup of tea is poured.

To begin, I chose the Shanghai Rose black tea to drink, a wonderful blend that had strong floral notes. Usually, black tea can get bitter if brewed for just a little too long, but this didn't have any bitter tones until my very last cup, an hour and half after it was first brewed.


The traditional (and untraditional) tea sandwiches were delicious and varied enough that there were many different flavors and combinations to try. My favorites were the lobster profiteroles, a mayo-less lobster salad with strong lemony flavor nestled in a small choux pastry, and the prosciutto and melon sandwich, with paper-thin melon slices that melted into the prosciutto.


And while I'm never a big fan of egg salad or smoked salmon, leaving the sandwiches as a mixed bag for me, I loved everything on the pastry tray. There were many choices, including the traditional scones (lemon and currant) with lemon curd and Devonshire cream. The pistachio macarons were tender and powerfully flavorful, as were the madeleines. The chocolate-dipped strawberries were juicy and perfect, making me forget that it's actually February.

For $28, this is far from the cheapest cup of tea in Boston, but the service and atmosphere (and, of course, the tea and food) made it well worth the price.

Tealuxe, Newbury Street

There has been much tea talk around the office lately. One coworker, our newest hire, loves tea, and she makes a different type (or two) every day. She has been buying her supply at Teavana, a place that I've never been thrilled with. I am a hard-core Tealuxe fan. So when we found out that our tea-obsessed friend had never been to Tealuxe, we knew we all had to go for lunch one day.

It's rare that I eat at Tealuxe. In the summer, the patio is always packed, as are most Newbury Street patios. In the winter, only the basement dining room is open. It's small, so there's usually a wait for a table, but it seems like a large area. Everything is brass and mirror, making the tiny room seem huge.

As a group of 6, we had a bit of a wait before we could get a table. No problem, though, as it gave us a chance to take a good hard look at the menus - food and tea.


I settled on the Sonoma panino - chicken with salsa and jack cheese. All sandwiches are served with the choice of potato chips, potato salad, or green salad - but really, the only choice you should make is the green salad. The dressing is very unique, infused with some type of tea (obviously, in a place like this).

And I had the Kir Royale ice tea to go along with my meal. Everyone else ordered hot tea, but I'm not a big fan of hot beverages with my food (unless we're talking coffee with a piece of cake or something). There are always 3 or 4 brewed ice teas available, with different flavor profiles to suit any taste.

Overall, Tealuxe offers a respectable light lunch. I still wish it were closer to my office, but I'll take it as a good thing - I'm not ordering tea there everyday like I would be.

The Royal Lady Hannah

In my efforts to not gain tremendous weight on this blogging endeavor, I've been trying to get in as much walking as possible during my days. My favorite route is up Comm Ave towards downtown Boston, a stop at Tealuxe, then walk back down Newbury Street to my office. Not only do I get in an hour of walking, I also get a great no-calorie treat.

With the on-again, off-again nice weather we've been having, I've had the chance to try many of Tealuxe's iced teas. They offer 4 at a time, and one or two always strike my fancy (luckily, they give free samples). My favorite by far has been the Lady Hannah.

The tea is a wonderfully deep red color, bursting with strong fruity flavors. The mix is made up of whole blackberries, stawberries, apple, citrus peel, rosehips and hibiscus.

One thing you won't find in there, though, is tea, making Lady Hannah a tisane, or herbal infusion. So no caffeine, but really, this makes for an even better ice tea. You can drink a gallon of it, and it will still be refreshing, not dehydrating at all.

Getting thirsty yet?