Traditionally, tea leaves were steeped in hot water to the desired strength and then sipped hot, with honey or sugar added to sweeten, and sometimes milk or cream.  But lately, tea trends are popping up all over the place—who can forget, after all, the “bubble tea” trend of several years ago, a Taiwanese tea base shaken with fruit or milk with tapioca balls (pearls)?  Shaking the tea gives it the characteristic bubbles, and the tapioca balls give the tea a chewy texture.  Although the craze was recent, the style itself dates back to the 1980s.

Now, bubbly tea—not to be confused with bubble tea—is making headlines.  This cold-brewed, carbonated beverage isn’t “just a cold, bubbly brew,” according to Donna Fellman, online tea educator for World Tea Academy.  Rather, it can compare to champagne or a delicate beer.  The science is interesting, too, in that the “fizz” you feel in your mouth when you drink the bubbly brew is a reaction on your taste buds, more touch than taste, enhancing the flavor of the tea.  The tea trend ranges from high-art, elegant styles painstakingly created to achieve a complex sensory response to a recklessly creative approach that includes pairing flavors simply for the wow factor.  The first can be thought of as the champagne of teas—oolong or Chinese black teas combined with carbonation to create a “dancing” effect of complexity, the science of cold brewed teas properly matched with optimal carbonation amounts.  The second style “relies on a distinctly West Coast comfort of chucking flavors around with abandon.”  Apple habanero spiced bubbly tea, anyone?

Another tea innovation is kombucha, a fermented drink of tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast.  This beverage boasts live bacteria, and proponents of the vinegary, sour, somewhere-between-vinegar-and-apple-cider mixture claim probiotic qualities—which aid in digestion and may possibly strengthen the immune system (although this has yet to be confirmed by researchers).

Fads aside, though, there are teas, such as Chai, that have been favorites for ages and ages.  The flavor concoction has stood the test of time because it works.  People enjoy the spices, the complexities, the nuances of ginger and cardamom with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and others.  An Indian tradition, there is no exact “recipe,” although many Chai companies use recipes based on nostalgic recipes, such as the liquid concentrate of Maya Chai, whose owner sought to recreate his mother’s recipe and make the comforting brew available to the general public.

Maya Chai’s convenient 11:1 concentrate combines efficiency and economy with authenticity.  Simply measure out an ounce of their concentrate and combine with eleven ounce of milk and, voila, you have the perfect beverage.  Likewise, David Rio powdered Chai blends offer the same convenience—mix your favorite amount of the powder blend with milk or water for a decadent beverage to enjoy any time of the day.

What is your favorite way to enjoy a cup of tea?  Do you prefer hot or cold, bubbly or not?  Did you jump on the bubble tea band wagon or have you tried kombucha?  Tell us about your tea experience!

The post How Do You Take Your Tea? appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Sweet Bubbly Espresso. Photo Courtesy of Frizz Coffee

Coffee drinkers rejoice! Houston’s is proud to announce the arrival of Frizz Coffee to our product line-up!

Produced in southern Italy, Frizz Coffee is the original sweet & bubbly espresso soda with pure cane sugar and a single shot of espresso rounding-out it’s very simple ingredient list. Frizz Coffee’s rich flavor tastes best when served cold, and even straight from the bottle. It can also be enjoyed poured over ice with half & half or cream. Frizz lovers say that it is a “must try,” and for those who are hesitant about the idea of coffee soda, rest assured that it tastes much better than you might think; especially when used in one of these delectable recipes from Frizz Coffee:

Frizz & Cream

• 1 bottle Frizz Coffee
• half & half or Cream
• Ice

1. Pour Frizz Coffee over ice.
2. Add half & half or cream, to taste.

Frizz Float

• 1 bottle Frizz Coffee
• Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Fill a glass with vanilla ice cream.
2. Pour Frizz Coffee over the top and enjoy!

Photo Courtesy of Frizz Coffee

Frizz Italian Cream Soda

• 1 bottle Frizz Coffee
• 24 oz cup filled with ice
• 1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup
• 1-1/2 oz Cream

1. Pour Frizz Coffee and Vanilla Syrup over ice.
2. Top with cream and stir. Mix it up by trying other syrup flavors!

Frizz Frapp

• 1 bottle Frizz Coffee
• 24 oz cup, chilled
• ice
• Smoothie Base
• 1/2 oz Caramel Syrup

1. Combine Frizz Coffee, Caramel Syrup, Smoothie Base and ice.
2. Blend and serve.

Frizz Mudslide

• 1 bottle Frizz Coffee
• Ice
• 1 shot Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 shot Coffee Liqueur

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Add one Irish Cream Liqueur and Coffee Liqueur.
3. Pour in Frizz Coffee, stir and serve.

Photo courtesy of Frizz Coffee

Frizzkey

• 1/3 bottle Frizz Coffee
• Old Fashioned Glass
• Ice
• 1 shot Whiskey

1. Pour Frizz Coffee and Whiskey over ice.
2. Serve in an Old Fashioned glass.

White Frizztini

• 1/2 shot Kahlua
• 1/2 shot Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 shot half & half or cream
• 1/2 bottle of Frizz Coffee

1. Mix all ingrdients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake, strain into glass and serve.

Black Frizztini

• 1/2 shot Amaretto
• 1/2 shot Brandy
• 1/2 bottle Frizz Coffee

1. Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake, strain into a glass and serve.

Have you tried Frizz? How do you drink it – over ice, with cream or flavored syrup? Watch for new recipes and join the conversation! #HowDoYouFrizz

The post Frizz Coffee – the original sweet & bubbly espresso! appeared first on Houston's Blog.