I DON'T KNOW how your summer has gone, but mine has been an amazing adventure. It began when I married the most amazing woman on Earth and continued when I moved to Richmond, VA to begin my new life with my new family. I went from a family of one to, at times, a family of as many as five. One of the things that we all seem to have in common is a love of tea. When I discovered this commonality, I began to wonder what kinds of fun things I could do with all the different blends of tea we have around our new home. It didn't take long to discover that you can do a lot of fun things with this delicious beverage.

Tea has been around for quite some time. Although the exact date that it began to be used as a beverage isn't known, we do know that its origins date back thousands of years to the area where northeast India, northern Burma, southwest China, and Tibet all converge. One of the most interesting things that I've learned about tea is that despite Great Britain's tea loving traditions, the United States was introduced to tea a few years before Great Britain. I know that many of you would disagree, but I checked. The Dutch introduced tea and tea traditions to New Amsterdam in 1650. It wasn't until 1657 that tea was first sold as a beverage in England. For those of you who don't remember their early U. S. History, New Amsterdam is the area currently known as New York.

One of the reasons why many drink tea is because of the many health benefits. Studies have shown that the consumption of tea prevents cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Tea leaves contain more than 700 chemicals, among them are compounds known to be related to human health: amino acids, vitamins C, E, and K, and caffeine. It has also been documented that tea helps provide immunity against intestinal disorders and helps in the protection of cell membranes against oxidative damage. It plays a role in normalizing blood pressure, the prevention of coronary heart diseases, and diabetes by reducing blood-glucose activity. And we have all heard that tea contains quite a few antioxidants, which we all know are important.

So, of course, I wondered how cool it would be to take all of these positive things and combine it with alcohol to create interesting cocktails. Amazingly, I was able to find a few recipes and try them out. I even tweaked a few just for fun. I'm a scientist -- it's what I do. I even created a few, but I need to work on them a little more before I release them to the masses.

The first thing that I wanted to throw out there was Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. Not because I enjoy it or endorse it, but because I know that a lot of you have heard of it and probably even like it. It is supposed to be an infusion of tea with vodka with sugar and lemon flavoring added. For some, this is good stuff, but it's not exactly what I had in mind when I thought about cocktails made with tea. I know that some of you enjoy Firefly, so I thought I'd include it. However, what follows is more like what I had in mind.

Tea offers a myriad of flavors to explore and making cocktails with it can be fun. Getting the right ingredients and playing with them until you get the results you're looking for is my favorite part of making cocktails. The first recipe that I found was definitely a test of my ability to experiment.

The recipe doesn't even have a name. The ingredients are one quart of white port wine, one-third cup of dried apricots (coarsely chopped), one-quarter cup of lychees (coarsely chopped), four thin slices of ginger, and one-half cup of China Congou tea. First, combine the port, apricots, lychees, and ginger in a non-reactive container. Non-reactive containers are those made from food-grade plastic, ceramic, glass, stoneware, wood, or porcelain. Non-reactive containers eliminate the chance of the taste of your mixture being affected by chemical reactions caused by acids in foods. Let the contents steep for about 20 minutes. Next, stir in the tea and let see for another 20 minutes or until it has a taste that is appealing to you. Finally, strain the contents in order to remove the solids from the mixture and then store it at room temperature until you're ready to consume it. This is definitely not your standard cup of tea, but it's fun to sip.

With fall quickly approaching, this next recipe is a perfect compliment to the cooler weather. It's called a Kashmiri Masala Chai with Gin. According to the author, the inclusion of gin gives this drink a phenomenal depth and pungency. I only agree that it is amazing. The ingredients are four teaspoons of green tea leaves, one and one-half tablespoons of almonds, one-half cinnamon stick, ten whole cardamom pods, ten-fifteen saffron threads, one-quarter teaspoon ground nutmeg, two cups whole milk, three teaspoons Turbinado (natural brown) sugar, a dash of salt, two cups of water, and four ounces of Tanqueray. First, use a mortar and pestle to grind the almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron into a fine powder. Then, simmer the milk in a medium-sized pot. Stir in the sugar, salt, nut mixture, ant nutmeg. Warm over low heat for about three minutes, while stirring occasionally. Bring the water to a boil in a separate pot. Add the tea leaves and boil them for one minute. Strain the tea into the milk and keep it over low heat for one minute. Strain the spices and nuts from the Masala Chai. Pour an ounce of Tanqueray into each of four eight-ounce cups. Top with the Masala Chai and enjoy.

I know that some of you can't live without flavored martinis, so here is one to challenge the idea of what a flavored martini can be. First, we need an infusion. Start with one quart of vodka, one teaspoon of whole cloves and one-third cup of Keemun tea. Add the ingredients to a non-reactive container and allow it to steep for about thirty minutes. Then, strain the mixture to remove the solids. Next, add two parts of the infusion to one part pineapple juice and one part creme de cassis into a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake the ingredients vigorously. Strain the mixture into a martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange. Now, try not to be overcome with by the sensory overload that will no doubt ensue.

So, there you have it -- tea cocktails un-steeped. As always, I strive to help you see things from another angle. Lots of us have heard of a Hot Toddy, but like many things in life, tea can be enjoyed so many other ways. I hope that you'll try these recipes and challenge your neighborhood bartender to give these a try and even extend the ideas into other concoctions that we can all enjoy. As always, when sipping tea cocktails at home or at your favorite drinking establishment, please drink responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!