Don’t let the tea steep for too long, so as to avoid a too tarte taste (alliteration!) No more than 10 minutes and then strain. This is also the perfect time for the water to cool appropriately, so as to make the most of the honey I chose. See honey has its own profile of vitamins, antioxidants and trace minerals. Many don’t realize this, but if you stir honey into water that is too hot (think just poured freshly boiled water) then it can kill all those good-for-you enzymes. The cacao adds a little depth to balance out the brightness of the tea and may bring along trace minerals like magnesium to the party. This honey might potentiate what’s already waiting to be enjoyed in the tea! I like to make stirring in the honey a mindful part of my own tea/cocktail prep ritual. So no rushing! Give it a taste before adding the Sake. You’ll see that the Raspberry Patch by Adagio is a beautiful herbal tea on its own. Slowly pour in the sake and give it all a little stir.

That’s it! The raspberry flavor is just perfect and I didn’t experience that queasy feeling that can accompany a sweetened drink. The sake itself feels cleaner to me than any other fermented grain alcohol. It’s no surprise I felt better for having it.

Recipe developed by Melissa Gutierrez especially for Adagio Teas