Art of Tea Academy

Tea and Food Pairings — Burgers, Cocktails, & Steaks

By Art of Tea on Nov 14, 2018 9:15:00 AM |

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One the fastest growing segments in food service is the gourmet burger concept. A Technomic report — based on more than 2,250 online surveys of U.S. and Canadian consumers — claims, “burgers are one of the hottest trends on today’s dining scene.” Of those surveyed, 91 percent said they eat a burger at least once a month and 44 percent said they consume burgers at least once a week.

The trend of taking something nostalgic and placing a modern twist on it (like the current gourmet burger trend) plays well in the current beverage trend which does the same. This trend fits tea, specifically, because of its wide appeal and immense offering. Gourmet burger concepts should consider these iced teas:

However, don’t count out hot tea. Many of the new burger concepts are developing a dessert program to increase the ticket amount. Hot tea is an instrumental part of a dessert program. Pairing a hot tea with each dessert creates more profit revenue to the ticket. Gourmet burger concepts should consider these Eco pyramid hot tea bags:


Tea Inspired Cocktails

Pick up just about any industry magazine about beverages and you will most likely see an article about creating tea cocktails. What was once thought of as an impossible ingredient for cocktails has turned into a must have in every restaurant and bar. It has become so trendy that tea is now a main ingredient that spirit manufacturers are utilizing to create unique taste profiles, such as Belvedere’s Lemon Tea Vodka. Teas and herbal tisanes, when added to cocktails, add depth of flavor to the cocktail while adding a refreshing finish. Whether used as a mixer, main ingredient, an enhancer, or made into a bar syrup, tea is making a statement at the bar. Using tea as a mixer drives down bar costs since tea is only a fraction of the cost of traditional mixers.

You can find simple recipes for three classic tea cocktails on our blog.

Pairing Art of Tea’s tea, to dishes on the menu, is something we have been preaching about for some time. But with Tea Cocktails, these pairings become easier and more enticing to the restaurateur — especially with the rising cost of food. Restaurateurs are turning to their higher margin menu items, like tea, with gross margins above 95%, to make up for the loss in margin in their traditional food costs.

Many Americans do not drink alcohol and those that do, at times, cannot for various reasons. This is probably the most overlooked group and the biggest opportunity for a restaurateur. Having unique mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) on their beverage menu can significantly increase the bar bill from serving tap water at a loss, to a $6 or $8-dollar drink. Furthermore, these beverages are perfect for families with teenagers and children who can enjoy a healthy alternative to soda, but not just your standard tea offering.

Test out mocktails at your establishment with the easy Jasmine Mojito.


Steakhouses

Full-service steakhouses have shown healthy growth over the last few years. Today’s American steakhouse is perfectly aligned to capitalize on the growth of specialty tea. Steakhouses can improve their beverage offering, differentiating them from the competition and “wowing” their guests with a thought out tea menu. Pre- and post-meal cocktails and mocktails are a focus for all steakhouses. Be sure to promote Art of Tea inspired signature drinks to your customers.

Flavorful iced tea is a natural complement to a rich and hearty steakhouse meal. Art of Tea offers a range of iced teas that pair beautifully with steakhouse menus. These teas offer enough flavor to stand up to rich flavors but not compete with the center plate item, which should be the star of the meal. Our iced teas refresh the palate and quench their thirst readying them for their next bite. Steakhouse concepts should consider these iced teas:

Desserts and after-dinner drinks tend to be more popular at steakhouses and hot tea is an integral part of this experience. Steakhouse concepts should consider these iced teas:


Art of Tea is an award winning purveyor of specialty and organic teas, based in Los Angeles, CA.

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