While the history of tea is long and it has been a drink of choice for hundreds of years, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t evolved! These past few years have brought us many surprising tea trends and 2017 will be no different.
We’ve come up with the seven biggest tea trends to keep an eye out for this year.
Tea Cocktails
Don’t be surprised if you see more and more cocktails with tea as an ingredient this year.
Not only are new drinks being made with tea as a main component, but old classics are also being remodeled with tea as well. Matcha mint julep, anyone?
The different spice notes and tannins in tea make it a great cocktail ingredient. It can also boost flavor without adding an overload of calories.
Tea for Everday Health
Another one of the popular tea trends we have seen steadily rising is the use of different teas for everyday health.
In a world that is becoming more health conscious, people are now looking for natural food and beverages that can target different ailments. Tea has become a popular beverage choice in this context.
We have seen detox teas, tea to promote calmness, tea to give you glowing skin, and even tea to aid weight loss.
Tea Based Lattes
Chai tea lattes have become a staple for many coffee shop menus, and this past year saw the rise of matcha lattes.
Matcha is having its heyday, and matcha lattes aren’t going anywhere. But in addition to that, we think that other latte-style drinks made with tea will be on the rise in 2017!
Keep an eye out for different tea-based lattes, such as rose lattes and turmeric based drinks.
Cold Brew Tea
2016 saw the domination of cold brew coffee. The smooth flavor was enough to cement cold brew as a coffeehouse favorite.
We think one of the big tea trends of 2017 will be tea borrowing this method and mainstreaming cold brew tea.
Since cold brewing requires a much longer steeping time, this means you can have iced tea without it becoming too bitter or diluted. Plus, longer steeping times means different flavor notes being brought out for teas that you already loved.
Nitro Tea
You’ve met nitro brew coffee, now get ready for nitro brew tea.
Another trend that became famous in the coffee world this past year, we think it will make its way to tea just like cold brewing.
Cold tea drinkers rejoice, because kegging tea with nitrogen opens up so many new doors for flavor. Nitro tea will pour like your favorite beer, with a frothy head that not only brings out new taste but a whole new texture for your tea.
Unconventional Mixing
While blending tea isn’t a new concept, we think we’ll see a rise of unexpected pairings this year.
Experimentation with tea keeps growing, and with that fusion teas are on the rise. Look out for pairings of different types of teas that are normally seen as opposites.
This can mean blending black and white tea, green and oolong, and even green and black tea!
Tea Subscription Services
Another trend that will be introduced into the tea world is subscription services.
Subscription boxes have become wildly popular. Subscription box websites saw their visits rise over 3,000 percent in 2016!
It seems as if you can get one for almost anything these days. And tea is included in this too.
Subscription box services such as Teabox and Simple Loose Leaf deliver monthly supplies of tea right to your door!
These services can help you broaden your tea horizons and try new types you normally wouldn’t think of. Plus who doesn’t love coming home to a box of goodies every month?
Take Part in the Tea Trends
2017 is looking to be another promising year of innovative tea trends. The rise of tea in the mainstream world just shows that tea can be classic and modern at the same time.
Are you as excited about these new trends as we are?
If yes, then be sure to check out some new places to buy from around the world and broaden your tea horizons!
