Cocktails with Jasmine tea
Jasmine tea is tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves scented with the blossoms of jasmine, most commonly Jasminum sambac.
Taste profile
Jasmine floral aroma dominates, sitting over a light green-tea base with a mild tannic astringency and no sweetness.
How it's used
Reached for when a drink needs a floral, aromatic lengthener, it is brewed and cooled, then poured as a low-body base liquid or added in a small measure as an aromatic accent; its perfume, not sweetness, is the point.
Substitutes for Jasmine tea
As a small aromatic accent, a plain green tea lifted with a floral or jasmine note can stand in; as a full base liquid the jasmine aroma is central and not freely swappable, since a plain tea supplies the tannic backbone and light body but cannot manufacture the floral character.
Often confused with
Green tea (unscented)
Jasmine tea is green (or other) tea that has been scented with jasmine blossom, while plain green tea carries no floral scenting. The two most often share a green-tea base and brew similarly apart from the added jasmine aroma.
Description
The base is typically green tea, though other tea types can be used. Producers scent the leaves with jasmine flowers so that the tea absorbs their fragrance, and the beverage is prepared by steeping those scented leaves in hot water — its character coming from the tea base plus absorbed jasmine aroma, with no added sugar or carbonation.
