The Liquid Muse

Tea-Tottling in Tinseltown!

Find out where to find soothing and refreshing tea cocktails around Los Angeles in my article featured in this week's Metro Mix LA!

Dr. Tea—A.K.A. Mark Ukra of Tea Garden—believes that when a man orders tea instead of coffee on a dinner date, the lady is more likely to see him as sensitive. "Tea has become my secret sexy weapon," he says. "It is the single most perfect plant nature has created.” Bartenders all across town must agree because these days, you're as likely to find tea steeped in a martini glass as you are in a tea cup.

X bar marks the spot for creative cocktails in Century City. Their aromatic Green Tea Martini blends high-quality Japanese green tea leaves and premium herbs infused with neutral spirits.

The brand new Hollywood hotspot One Sunset refreshes the “in” crowd with a herby-lemon Green MarTEAni made with Skyy Citrus, Zen Green Tea Liquor, and Fresh Lemon Juice.

Santa Monica’s Abode Restaurant & Lounge has the ladies swooning over its nectar-like Elderflower Green Tea martini made with organic green tea-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur garnished with edible Flowers.

At blue on blue in Beverly Hills, the bartenders blend two cocktail trends into one delicious drink with this twist on a classic. The boldly flavorful Earl Grey Negroni is made with Earl Grey-infused gin, Campari and sweet vermouth shaken, not stirred, and served on the rocks.

Blue Velvet soothes downtown hipsters with a kiss of sweetness in its Chamomile Martini. Tanqueray gin and chamomile-infused simple syrup are served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass with a chamomile flower as garnish.

And stylish Cameo Bar at the Viceroy Santa Monica serves a floral and fruity Jasmine Lychee Tea Tini, which is made with an organic jasmine and green tea blend and mixed with vodka and a splash of lychee juice. The garnish? Whole, succulent lychees. Yum.

Try this at home: Zen Green Tea Liqueur is the first tea-infused spirit on the market and it makes for this very refreshing Cooler, courtesy of The Liquid Muse.

1 ounce Zen Green Tea liqueur
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce lemon juice
2 kumquats
2 teaspoons, sugar
Freshly-brewed green tea

Muddle 2 kumquats, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, Zen Green Tea Liqueur and vodka, then shake. Strain into tall glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with the third kumquat on a drink pick.