Black Tea Sour Mocktail
Strong black tea supplies the tannic base for a frothy alcohol-free sour. A short dry shake aerates the pasteurized egg white before a second shake with ice chills the drink.
Non-alcoholicMake it like a pro.
About 6 minutes hands-on plus 4 minutes tea steeping and about 20 minutes cooling; prepared cold tea and syrup shorten the wait.
- 01
For the tea base, steep one black tea bag in about 110 mL freshly boiled water for 4 minutes or according to its package. Remove the bag, weigh 90 g brewed tea and cool it in an ice-water bath until cold, about 20 minutes. Do not put hot tea in a sealed shaker.
- 02
Use syrup made by dissolving equal masses of sugar and water, then cooling completely; measure 20 mL. Combine the cold tea, lemon juice, syrup and pasteurized egg white in a secure cocktail shaker.
- 03
Shake without ice for about 15 seconds. Open carefully, add the measured shaking ice, close securely and shake another 12–15 seconds.
- 04
Strain into a small stemmed glass, leaving the ice in the shaker. The foam is the included egg white, with no extra topping.
Tools for This Recipe
Helpful equipment for making this recipe at home.
A practical stainless-steel shaker for chilled cocktails and mocktails.
View on AmazonJiggerOXO SteeL Double JiggerOXOA compact double-ended measure for consistent drink proportions.
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Easy swaps
- Omit the egg white for an unfrothed tea sour, with a separately reduced protein estimate.
- Use decaffeinated brewed black tea for a different caffeine profile; the remaining reference quantities can stay the same.
Mixpert tips
- Use pasteurized liquid egg white intended for food use and follow its package handling guidance.
- If making a small syrup batch, cool it before measuring the 20 mL recipe portion; no extra syrup belongs in this serving.
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Black Tea Sour Mocktail FAQs
Can I shake this tea sour while the tea is hot?
No. Cool the measured tea completely before sealing it in a shaker. The total time includes an ice-bath cooling allowance; hot liquid can create pressure in a closed shaker.
Why use a dry shake for a black tea sour?
Shaking the cold ingredients without ice first helps aerate the pasteurized egg white. The second shake adds ice for chilling, and that ice is strained out rather than counted as eaten.
What does 1:1 syrup mean in this mocktail?
It means equal sugar and water masses, such as 25 g sugar and 25 g water. Only 20 mL cooled syrup is used; its source-backed density converts that portion to about 24.6 g syrup.