Starbucks® TEAVANA™: Tea Pairing & Simple Recipes To Fall In Love With Starbucks’ New Artisanal Teas

starbucks teavana singapore-5853

When asked what’s your favourite drink at Starbucks, you’d most probably get answers that are of the chain’s classic coffee beverages like Iced Caramel Macchiato, Java Chip Frappuccino, and more. Whether it is from the menu or not-so-secret hacks that Starbucks aficionados came up with, you’d rarely hear people mentioning its range of teas.

All that is about to change with the new Starbucks Teavana artisanal flavours that will thrill tea drinkers, consisting of innovative hand-crafted drinks and Full Leaf Teas to sip over desserts and snacks the next time you’re at Starbucks for some chit chats.

starbucks teavana singapore-5823

Starbucks has three new Teavana handcrafted beverages that are currently served island-wide, namely Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit and Honey Matcha & Espresso Fusion, and Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls, seen above from left to right.

Light and refreshing, the Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit and Honey ($5.50, Tall) perfumes the mouth with a citrus burst and mild sweetness from the honey lingering on our taste buds.

The Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls ($6.90, Tall) adds a fruity twist to the Hibiscus Starbucks Teavana tea, with bits of bursting pearls consisting of real pomegranate juice.

For both flavours, you can request for sparkling versions of it for an additional top-up of $0.60 each for that added fizz to awake your senses.

starbucks teavana singapore-5809

The Matcha & Espresso Fusion ($6.90, Tall) cleverly combines two robust flavours together to produce a beautifully ombre-coloured drink that will satisfy your matcha and coffee cravings.

You could stir it in and mix the concoction together, or sip it in layers like what I did, allowing the caffeine from the espresso to kick in, then completing the drink with the decadently sweet matcha at the end. Somewhere in the middle both drinks would meet to create a bold flavoured, smooth and earthy, yet not overwhelmingly distinct taste.

starbucks teavana singapore-5821

For days when you need a simple hot cup of tea, a total of eight new teas are available on the menu, priced at $4.40 for a Tall cup. You could also have them iced for a pick-me-up during the warm mid-day.

Plated before us were beautiful servings of the various ingredients infused in each tea, which we could pick up and smell to have a greater understanding of what went into the sachets. The Starbucks Teavana Earl Grey was a blend of black tea with a soft hint of lavender, spice from cinnamon, star anise, and a pinch of lime. Making it wonderfully mild and soothing.

starbucks teavana singapore-5849

If you love all things green tea, the Emperor’s Clouds and Mist is said to be exclusively harvested from Huangshan Mountain during the month of April (Spring). The quality of the green tea lies in the ways the leaves are processed, the longer it is, the better the grade.

The tea was full-bodied, encompasses a floral fragrance with each sip, yet remained light with a subtle, sweet finish. It was one of my favourite that we sampled.

starbucks teavana singapore-5891

Many have heard of wine pairing, but not much about tea pairing. Boy, tea can really enhance the profile of foods, complementing it in more than one ways, definitely more than just cutting back on the food grease.

(From left to right) Youthberry is a naturally sweet white tea, which comes from the blending of acai berry with rosehips, green tea, candied pineapple and mango. Being slightly tart-y, its sour-ish characteristic cuts through creamy, rich foods like cheese cake, resetting your palate for more. Watch for its pearly white shine on the tea’s surface to determine its freshness.

Surprisingly, The Emperor’s Clouds and Mist works great with curry puffs and other savoury foods or snacks, breaking the misconception that green tea only goes well with sushi and Japanese cuisine. On the other hand, the aromatic Earl Grey balances out the sweetness from the muffins.

The other flavours include, Chai, Mint Citrus, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chai, Mint Blend and Chamomile.

These beverages can also be enjoyed at the comfort of your own home, where you can spruce up your drinks with simple ingredients you can find in the kitchen. The staffs at Starbucks gave some cool insights and simple at-home recipes to try with the Starbucks Teavana full leaf tea sachets.

Simple Starbucks Teavana Recipes

Sparkling Youthberry Cold Brew

starbucks teavana singapore-5898

Ingredients:

  • 2 sachets of Starbucks Youthberry White Tea
  • 3 Strawberries (cut), or as many as you like
  • 6 Blueberries (cut for more berry sweetness), or as many as you like
  • Mint leaves
  • 1 mason jar
  • Your preferred flavoured fizz

starbucks teavana singapore-5911

Directions:

Cold brew your tea by placing the tea bags in a clear cup or mason jar, add room temperature or cold water in, then refrigerate it for 6 – 8 hours or overnight for a more concentrated, gentle flavour. Remove jar from temperature, discard tea bag and serve with ice, berries and mint. Top it up with fizz and you’ll have a refreshing, summer drink. Add an optional scoop of honey for more sweetness.

Indulgent Chocolatey Chai

starbucks teavana singapore-5914

Ingredients:

  • 50g Dark Chocolate
  • 1 sachet of Starbucks Chai Tea
  • ¾ cup of milk
  •  3 tablespoons of whipped Cream
  • Small Marshmallows
  • Cinnamon stick

starbucks teavana singapore-5932

Directions:

Melt dark chocolate on low heat. In the same pot, heat milk and add whipped cream, keep stirring until smooth (ensure it’s on medium heat). Place Chai Tea bag in a mug, pour melted chocolate mix into mug, then steep for 5 minutes. Fill mug to brim with fluffy mini marshmallow and stir away with the cinnamon stick for that extra oomph for a flavourful drink.

Great for rainy days when you just want to laze in the sofa and put on your favourite movie, cosy up in knitted throws and a warm cup of chocolatey spiced drink to warm your heart and soul.

Tea-licious Earl Grey VIA™

starbucks teavana singapore-5963

Ingredients:

  • 1 x sachet of Starbucks Earl Grey tea
  • 1 x stick of Starbucks VIA™ Colombia instant brew
  • ½ cup of milk
  • Ice Tray
  • Condensed milk

starbucks teavana singapore-5972

Directions:

Steep Earl Grey in hot water for 5 mins, mix Colombia brew with water. Pour both beverages into an ice tray (fill half ice tray with earl grey and half with Colombia), wait for mixtures to cool down the freeze for 4-6 hours.

Add three ice cubes of each to the glass, add in milk and wait for the ice cubes to dissolve before enjoying it. You can drizzle condensed milk for an additional touch of sweetness.

starbucks teavana singapore-5817

Have you tried the new range of Starbucks Teavana teas? Let us know which flavour is your favourite. While you’re at it, pick up some cakes and snacks to pair it with the range of teas, they’d be great for afternoon tea with your girl squad.

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Starbucks Singapore.

Newest