Starbucks® TEAVANA™ – The World of Tea Reimagined

Tea is one of the oldest beverages and despite being so easy to prepare, this beverage is capable of delivering wonderfully refreshing flavours.

Starbucks has always been known for their coffee and Frappuccinos. Now with the launch of the new Starbucks Teavana, customers can enjoy bold, refreshing and unique tea beverages in-stores and at-home! Bringing many new teas sources from top tea estatates, you can now enjoy a range of unique iced and hot tea beverages with bold flavours with Starbucks Teavana.

We were invited to attend the Starbucks Teavana Party where we were introduced to the Teavana full leaf teas as well as the Teavana handcrafted beverages. Prior to the party, I have actually tried it on my own and loved it, hence I was really excited to deep dive into the world of Teavana and learn more about teas from the Starbucks baristas. P/S the drinks are all available across all stores island-wide.

I am a coffee and tea drinker. So the Matcha & Espresso Fusion (tall $6.90) is the best of both worlds. It is a combination of fine Matcha powder layered with milk and Starbucks signature Espresso Roast. This beautiful layered drink can be enjoyed iced and hot.

Giving a refreshing twist to the traditional black tea, the new Iced Shaken Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit & Honey (tall $5.50) is layered with zesty Ruby grapefruit and is completed with a dash of honey. Available ice and hot, it’s sweet and tangy! The sparkling version is available at $6.10 (tall). If you are wondering, the above photo was taken at Hong Kong, when I was drinking Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit & Honey while waiting for my flight home.

For a more refreshing tea option, opt for the Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls (tall $6.90). The bright floral notes of Starbucks Teavana™ Hibiscus tea make up the base of tea and we can’t resist the bursting pearls of real pomegranate juice. The sparkling version is available at $7.50 (tall).

While having afternoon tea at Starbucks, why not pair your beverages with some of their hearty afternoon snacks? Fancy some Starbucks muffins? Pick from Caramel Pecan, Banana Walnut, Blueberry Crumble, Chocolate Cookie Crumble, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese. My favourite Teavana-food combination is the Matcha & Espresso Fusion with Cookie Crumble cheesecake.

In addition to the handcrafted beverages, Starbucks is also introducing Full Leaf Tea Sachets, including English Breakfast, Early Grey, Youthberry, Emperor’s Clouds & Mist, Mint Blend, Chai, Mint Citrus and Chamomile.

We were taught how to do tea tasting. I have done wine tasting before but this is the first time I am doing tea tasting and it was really interesting. What to look out for?

1. Inspect the colour of the tea.
2. Does it have an enticing aroma? Smell it just like how you would for coffee.
3. Drink and “feel” the body of the tea. Does it have depth?
4. Go for the flavour. Is it pleasant and or good quality?

For casual tea drinkers like you and me, perhaps it will be helpful for you to try comparing the teas to others to see if you like it. The most important part of the tasting is… Does it taste good to you? Afterall, it’s about the search of the ideal cup of tea to fit your palate. ☺

Using Starbucks Teavana Full-Leaf Teas, we also learnt how to create our own drinks at-home.

Sparkling Youthberry Cold Brew

We know that white tea is always the lightest because the youngest tea leaves are used and least processed. Now Starbucks has up-ed the game by offering Youthberry tea! Made from acai berry, hibiscus and rose petals, the Starbucks Youthberry White Tea has a delicate sweetness which all women would love.

Sparkling Youthberry Cold Brew

Author: Maureen

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Ingredients

• 2 sachets of Starbucks Youthberry White Tea
• 3 Strawberries cut
• 6 Blueberries cut for more berry sweetness
• Mint leaves
• 1 mason jar
• Your preferred flavored fizz

Instructions

1. Place tea bags in clear cup / mason jar
2. Add room temperature or cold water
3. Refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight
4. Remove from fridge, discard tea bag
5. Serve with ice, berries and mint – top it with fizz

Recipe Notes

Optional: Add a dash of honey for added sweetness if you like!

Tea-licious Earl Grey VIA™

If you love Yuan Yang, a mixture of coffee and tea, then you will love Tea-licious Earl Grey VIA™. A bright blend of black tea comes from Sri Lanka with fragrant bergamot oil and lavender. Add in Starbucks VIA™ Colombia instant brew and condensed milk, you get a smooth yet mid body flavour.

Tea-licious Earl Grey VIA™

Author: Maureen

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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

Instructions

1. Steep Earl Grey in hot water for 5 mins
2. Mix Colombia with water
3. Pour both into ice tray (fill half ice tray with earl grey and half with Colombia)
4. Wait for mixtures to cool down
5. Freeze for 4-6 hours
6. Add 6 ice cubes (3 of each) to cup
7. Finish with milk and enjoy your drink as the ice cubes dissolve

Recipe Notes

Optional: drizzle with condensed milk for that additional touch of sweetness!

Indulgent Chocolatey Chai

Here comes the ultimate enjoyment – Indulgent Chocolatey Chai. To be honest, I didn’t like chai tea previously. But I have grown to love the rich spice notes and when you mix with dark chocolate and marshmallow, it is rich, dense, decadent, yet not overly sweet.

Indulgent Chocolatey Chai

Author: Maureen

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Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Melt dark chocolate on low heat
2. In same pot, heat milk and add whipped cream to pot
3. Keep stirring until smooth (ensure it’s on medium heat)
4. Place Chai Tea bag in a mug
5. Pour chocolate mix into mug
6. Steep for 5 mins
7. Finish with Marshmallows
8. Stir away with the cinnamon stick for an extra oomph

The new Starbucks Teavana teas are available either hot or iced for $4.40 (tall). All teas are available for purchase in sachets in-stores except for Mint Blend and Chamomile ($14.90 for a box of 12 sachets).

For more information, please visit www.starbucks.com.sg/teavana