Green Tea Liqueur

 I tried a new liqueur I found called Zen. It's a matcha green tea liqueur that's 20% alc/vol.

I poured a bit in a cup to take a tast of the liqueur on it's own. The scent is simmular to vodka but a little more sweet.
The flavor was much more sweet then I expected. I could tast a hint of matcha but honestly the sweetness really over powered the green tea flavor. It was to sweet for my tast though I'm not one for sweetened drinks. If you enjoy really sweet liqueur then I would suggest the zen.
On the back of the bottle there is a recipe that calles for green or black tea. I steeped some sencha tea and mixed about 4 parts green tea to 1 part zen liqueur.

The bottle said to add iced green tea but I enjoyed it warm. I liked Zen a lot more once it was diluted down and with an actual green tea flavor. It would probably be pretty good with matcha which would help bring out the matcha in the actual alcohol.

Over all I enjoyed it mixed with green tea but found it to sweet on it's own. It's a bit pricy running at around $30 per bottle. I don't think I will probably buy it again unless it goes down to the teen price range.

Rooibos

Another one of my favorite winter time beverages is Rooibos also known as red tea or red bush tea. This herbal tea is grown in Africa and is chalk full of minerals such as iron and magnesium. It also contains some phenolic compounds such as flavanols, flavones, and flavanonoes.(Wiki)

It is wonderful for stomach aches and digestive problems. It also eases anxiety and stress. I feel in love with Rooibos due to its calming affect and great flavor.

Mix 1 part Rooibos with 1 part Ginger and you have the perfect period tea.
The ginger relieves muscle achs and cramps while the Rooibos relaxes you and helps you with any digestion issues.
The flavor is earthy and kind of sweet. You can add sugar or agave to sweeten and bring out the sweet undertones. It's a wholesome tea and has a heavier body then most. A great winter tea for snuggling inside.

I would suggest using a fine metal strainer such as this one from http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/tea-makers-infusers/p/cool-touch-tea-strainer

London Fog

On snowy days such as today I like to enjoy a warm beverage. Lavender seems so summery and refreshing to me but when its paired with earl gray it becomes a delectable winter treat.


Recipe: 16 oz.
1 Tbsp - Earl Gray
1 Tbsp - French Lavender
A dash of milk (preferably steamed)
Sweeten to tast using White sugar or Agave nectar.
For some good looks add a little pinch of lavender on top of foam.

   Enjoy this beverage as you sulk inside watching the cold weather out the window. Snow or rain the London fog has your back.