Fizzy, complex, and an absolute joy to sip. As a tea-drinking wine lover (or a wine-loving tea drinker?), discovering sparkling teas has been a revelation. Post-lockdown, the drinks sector has...
Fizzy, complex, and an absolute joy to sip. As a tea-drinking wine lover (or a wine-loving tea drinker?), discovering sparkling teas has been a revelation. Post-lockdown, the drinks sector has witnessed significant growth in the realm of low and no-alcohol offerings, driven, in part, by Gen Z’s dwindling interest in imbibing alcohol. Amid the spiritless spirits and a bevy of alcohol-free wines, ciders, and beers, luxury sparkling teas are comfortably the most exciting emerging trend in the low and no-alcohol sphere. These elegant, lavishly layered beverages are carving out space as an alternative to a celebratory bottle of bubbles—whether you enjoy the odd tipple or not.
If your approach to building healthy habits includes eschewing alcohol, sparkling teas are among the most attractive options for extending Dry or Damp January to the rest of the year. The many benefits that follow curtailing one’s alcohol intake are well-known: improved sleep and a glowier complexion, reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. But it’s the wealth of antioxidants in polyphenol-rich tea that set it head and shoulders above its competitors.
Luxury sparkling teas represent an entirely new expression of the much-loved cuppa. Given their highly polished, multifaceted profiles, it comes as no surprise that sparkling tea has Michelin-starred origins—the brainchild of one of the world’s top sommeliers, no less. Award-winning sommelier Jacob Kocemba first looked to tea as a solution to a pairing quandary. His head chef made a last-minute menu change, and none of the wines in Kocemba’s expansive cellar quite fit. The solution? He turned to tea. “I just needed something to get me through the night,” he explains.
Like an alchemist, he combined several artisanal teas to create a one-of-kind homebrewed beverage. The pairing proved popular. “It became a thing that I should do something to pair with the dessert for each new menu. And that was built on tea,” says Kocemba. The opportunity to add a signature sparkle first arrived in 2011—but it wasn’t until 2016, when Kocemba joined forces with Bo Sten Hansen, that the first sparkling tea company materialized. Today, the Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company’s blends are found in over 150 Michelin dining rooms across 55 countries.
Natalie Chiu, co-founder of Saicho, arrived at sparkling tea from a consumer’s perspective. A passionate foodie with a lifelong intolerance to alcohol, the Hong Kong-born Chiu felt she was missing out. “I could never have the full experience of wine pairings with my meals,” she says. “This was back at the time when alcohol-free options weren’t around.” Looking for a different option, and drawing on both her love of food and her background in food science, Chiu and husband Charlie Winkworth-Smith, tasted hundreds of teas and blended botanicals until they arrived at their inaugural teas: jasmine, Darjeeling, and hojicha. “It was a journey of discovery for me being Chinese, and not knowing too much about my culture and heritage and weaving that through,” Chiu adds. “And we always maintained the concept of that inclusivity in the experience of food and drinks.” (Her background in food science has clearly served her well—the Saicho sparkling teas are a study in harmony and purity of flavor.)
For any high-end sparkling tea producer, quality is paramount. For Kocemba, “It has to be a tea garden that is organic, that meets the European standard for tea, then of course it has to be tasty as well.” The sommelier-turned-master tea brewer selects premium teas from regions like Darjeeling, Assam, Nepal, Japan, and top Chinese tea gardens in Fushin and Guangxi. The latter is where Kocemba sources his prized Silver Needle, the world’s finest white tea, used in his Lyserød blend.
Harnessing the rich tapestry of flavor profiles found across tea, independent producers like the Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company and Saicho craft expressive cuvées that rival your favorite bubbles in complexity and depth, providing a tapestry of flavor and that palate-prickling effervescence we associate with good times, better company, and a flute of Champagne in hand. With the IWSR projecting a 7% growth in the no-alcohol category by 2027, it seems natural that names like Fortnum & Mason and venerable wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd are also jumping on the trend.
In pursuit of the best possible product, Kocemba hand-brews all the teas so he can control temperatures and how long the tea brews before blending. “When I build a flavor, we have to bear in mind, I come from the wine world,” he says. “My way of tasting different varieties is based on how I would approach a wine. I work with the attack, the middle palate, and then the aftertaste. All three different items are very important to creating a complex tasting experience.”
At Saicho, Chiu prefers cold brewing. “When you hot brew, you generally have a much shorter time in terms of the brewing process and you extract very different flavor profiles," she says. Cold brewing allows her to extract the flavor components while preventing too much astringency from creeping in and gives the flavors time to settle. Like coffee, chocolate, and, most famously, wine, tea holds a sense of place. As they tasted hundreds of teas from tea gardens across China, India, and Japan, Chiu and Winkworth-Smith marveled at the differences not only between tea gardens but different plots. They decided single-origin teas were the way forward for Saicho—and like the world’s great wine crus, these bubbly brews effortlessly speak of the soils and climate they were grown in. Whether you’re coming from the world of wine or exploring new avenues in tea, Chiu’s focus on terroir and Kocemba’s artful blending make their sparkling teas a natural pairing with a variety of cuisines.
How to Pair Sparkling Tea With Food
Creating complementary food and drink pairings is an art. “Sparkling tea can start a meal and it can finish it,” explains Kocemba, much like sparkling wine. “It’s very good as an aperitif, it’s very good with hors d’oeuvres or charcuterie.” He notes the style’s affinity for Asian flavors, sushi, and shellfish, as well as spicy dishes, a fact echoed by Chiu.
“One of my favorites at the moment is pairing jasmine with spicy noodles,” says Chiu. “I love putting it with a little chili oil so whenever I make a stir fry or noodle or udon, I add Chinese spices and pair it with the jasmine.” She’s right—the pairing is gorgeous, reminiscent of a Riesling.
At the denouement of a meal, try a cheeseboard or cheesecake if you fancy something sweet. Their richness from the fats is the perfect foil for the bright acidity and subtle umami in sparkling tea.
How to Serve Sparkling Tea
Occasion-wise, these luxe alcohol-free bubbles suit any event where you might pop a bottle of Champagne, but their versatility invites them to the table whenever, wherever. Chill sparkling tea a tad colder than sparkling wine, about 41 to 45°F (5 to 7°C). Serve in flutes—or better still, all-purpose white wine glasses to unlock the full complement of aromas and flavors.
6 Luxury Sparkling Teas for Any Occasion
Saicho Darjeeling, $20: Featuring a delicate Darjeeling flavor (appropriately known by the moniker “the Champagne of teas”) supported by notes of mandarin, stone fruit, ginger, and muscat.
Lyserød, $30: A sparkling tea for the rosé or red wine lover. Blended from Silver Needle, Oolong, blackberry, and hibiscus, this salmon-pink blend offers notes of ripe red berries and apples with a drier, more tannic profile.
Fortnum & Mason Organic Sparkling Tea, $30: Layers of fruit and white floral notes mingle with Darjeeling, lemongrass with a hint of mint in this crisp, graceful organic sparkler.
Jing Jasmine Pearls, $31: Green tea from the Shekou Garden, Fujian, laced with heady jasmine. Delivering on the promise of beautiful floral notes expertly balanced with crisp pomaceous fruits and a touch of honey. A perfect dry option.
Saicho Sixty Stone Mountain, $71: A treasure trove of tropical fruits ranging from mango to pineapple layered with stone fruit, Meyer lemon, and ample honey.
Lysegrøn, $37: Based on 12 green teas, Kocemba calls the Lysegrøn “the bridge between the tea world and the wine world.” Bright citrus notes, lemongrass, and apple with the signature Sencha aroma and flavor.