By: Elana Simpson, Contributing Writer
Photo by Elana Simpson

Tea may never outstrip the popularity of coffee, but according to Jackie Hawkins, Starbucks Retail Manager, she has seen a noticeable decrease in the gap between tea and coffee sales in her 11 years at our campus Starbucks. Coupled with several requests that Hawkins received from Starbucks regulars for tea tastings, it was an obvious decision to add tea tastings to the schedule.

Hawkins and Chef Jenny Kaul are an innovative team that is constantly looking to expand the horizons of the on-campus community. Hawkins was excited to tell me that every third Thursday of the month Starbucks will be offering a tea tasting at 2 p.m. in room 181 of Marx Library. As usual, Kaul will be offering the perfect food pairing which will include vegan and gluten free options. And before the coffee drinkers despair, you haven’t been forgotten as the coffee tastings will continue to be weekly throughout the semester, giving up only the third week of each month to tea. 

The first tasting of the spring semester happened Jan. 16. Unlike coffee’s bold, in-your-face aroma, tea seems to whisper in the air, mixing with the library’s smell of old books. It is hardly noticeable if you aren’t looking for it. Tea is all about subtlety and someone would need to offer a master class on what is involved in crafting the perfect tea. There are thousands of tea varieties, but they can be categorized into six main types: black, green, white, oolong, yellow and pu-erh. On Jan. 16, one of the teas served was a green tea blended with chamomile, a hint of citrus, rose, and apple. This blend was crafted specifically for Starbucks and can be used as a replacement for the Medicine Ball (now the Honey Citrus Mint tea), which is an item on the top-secret Starbucks menu. *Shhhhhhh*! IYKYK!

As per Hawkins’ habit, the tea was offered plain. She never wants the flavor of other added ingredients, such as sweeteners, to overpower the natural flavor of the blend.

Much like tasting coffee, there is a five-step process to tasting tea:

1. Look – Describe the look of the tea.
2. Smell – What notes can you tease out from the blend?
3. Slurp – Did the tea spread across the entire palate?
4.  Location – Where on your palate are you tasting it?
5. Describe – How does it compare to other teas?

For me, the Chamomile Mint Blossom smelled minty with hints of citrus and something floral, and the flavors were quiet and moved around the palate, giving different experiences with each sip. Kaul paired the tea with a lemon rose shortbread cookie. As genius always begets more genius, Kaul used the shortbread cookie recipe from the show “Ted Lasso” as a base and made it her own with the addition of lemon peel and rosewater. Trust me when I tell you that many people were having seconds… and thirds. It paired well with this lightly flavored tea, but the surprising thing was that the cookie magnified the pure taste of the green tea by cutting away the mint, floral, and citrus notes. It gave us a whole new taste experience, which is one of the things I truly love about the food pairings on offer at these Starbucks tasting events. I tried both the traditionally made shortbread and the vegan, gluten-free and both were amazing.

Visit the Marx Library Starbucks to see the calendar of events for the next coffee or tea tasting. The theme and the coffee/tea blends being tasted will be listed. Hawkins and Kaul are present at the events and are both knowledgeable and eager to answer your questions. These events are always free to attend and are definitely a must-have experience.