Tea Bright Mocktails for Valentine’s, Chinese New Year—and All Year!
We’re about halfway through Dry January. Abstainers are desperate for inspiration. Bored with flavored seltzer, tired of non-alcoholic beer, exhausted by the idea of yet another sweet, newfangled “wellness” soda, Dry January participants seek something novel and delicious.
They have plenty of options, especially if they’re game for engaging in some DIY. One key ingredient for the R&D? Tea. Bartenders already use tea in a diversity of traditional cocktail recipes—tea’s stunning range of flavors delivers quite a bit to the bartender’s arsenal. We think tea is even more vital for people keen to craft cocktails without the hooch.
Alcoholic products, after all, offer big flavor. From the bitter herbs found in amaros and vermouths to gin’s bold botanical profiles, whiskey’s caramel and vanilla notes and tequila’s unique flavor—earthy and herbal—the hard stuff dwells at the center of the cocktail experience. When it gets axed, the drink suddenly misses its sturdy spine. But tea can help return bright taste to drinks electric with adult flavor—minus the hooch.
This Dry January, and beyond, incorporate tea into your drink-making efforts. And with that “beyond” in mind, consider the following recipes, which lean into both Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year vibes!
Cheers to that!
Dry January Tea Mocktails: Chocolate Mint Dream

Valentine’s Day is all about pampering, romance and sweetness—from how we treat loved ones to the chocolates we nibble. With that in mind, we think this mocktail is sure to bring super sweet smiles from anybody who takes a sip. Our beloved Chocolate Mint tea, which contains black tea, peppermint and chocolate flavor, serves as the base of this beauty.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Ku Cha chocolate/cacao tea, brewed strong and chilled
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (for creaminess and richness)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• Pinch of cinnamon (optional, for warmth)
• Garnish: Shaved dark chocolate and a cinnamon stick
Instructions:
1. Brew tea strong and chill it.
2. In a shaker, mix tea, coconut milk, vanilla, honey, and cinnamon with ice.
3. Shake well and pour into a glass.
4. Garnish with shaved chocolate and a cinnamon stick for an elegant touch.
Dry January Tea Mocktails: Organic Rose White Tea Bliss

What else tends to decorate any Valentine’s Day celebration? Roses! It’s the holiday’s signature. We incorporate rose petals and hips into a variety of our teas. The botanical delivers floral pleasures to nearly any tea—sensations that intoxicate both through aromas and flavor. This gorgeous cocktail showcases rose, but adds a number of other ingredients that turn it into a stellar Valentine’s Day mocktail.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Ku Cha rose tea, brewed and chilled
• 1/2 cup lychee juice (symbolizing sweetness and love)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sparkling water or soda
• Garnish: Fresh rose petals (edible) or a thin lemon wheel
Instructions:
1. Brew rose tea and chill it.
2. Mix tea, lychee juice, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.
3. Pour into a glass and top with sparkling water.
4. Garnish with edible rose petals or a delicate lemon wheel.
Dry January Tea Mocktails: Immortal Tea Sparkler

Promoting longevity represents one of the pillars of Chinese New Year, which begins on Wednesday, January 29. Long noodles, peach blossoms, cranes, Chinese characters, food—the holiday involves many celebrations of longevity. This cocktail honors Chinese New Year’s fixation on longevity, with healthy botanicals and a bold flavor.
Our Immortal Tea incorporates jiao gu lan, a plant found in parts of Asia that, as a powerful adaptogen, gets used to promote long life. It also includes ginseng, another potent adaptogen celebrated for its wellness properties. For flavor, we also added peppermint to this blend.
When blended into this fantastic cocktail, you’re gaining a double-shot of excellence: plants that help improve healthy aging, and outstanding flavor!
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Ku Cha Longevity Tea, brewed and chilled
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (symbolizing wealth and good fortune)
• 1 tbsp honey or agave (optional, for sweetness)
• 1/2 cup sparkling water
• Garnish: Orange peel twist and pomegranate seeds (for luck and fertility)
Instructions:
1. Brew Longevity Tea and chill.
2. Mix tea, orange juice, and honey/agave in a glass.
3. Add sparkling water and gently stir.
4. Garnish with orange peel and pomegranate seeds.
Dry January Tea Mocktails: Yunnan Gold Prosperity

Abundance represents another important part of Chinese New Year. People eat foods and partake in customs across the two-week holiday that portend a year ahead spangled with prosperity. The many customs trumpeting the advantages of wealth and abundance inspired us to come up with this outstanding cocktail. It begins with our always popular Yunnan Gold—gold is important for Chinese New Year!—and adds a welter of wonderful ingredients to the drink, including turmeric for rich gold color.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Ku Cha Golden Pu-erh Tea, brewed and chilled
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (symbolizing prosperity)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Dash of turmeric (for vibrant gold color and health benefits)
• 1/2 cup ginger beer
• Garnish: Pineapple wedge or gold sugar rim
Instructions:
1. Brew Pu-erh tea and chill.
2. Mix tea, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and turmeric in a shaker with ice.
3. Pour into a glass and top with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or a sugar-rimmed glass.