Iced Shou Pu-erh with Dark Caramel and Oat Milk
Strong-brewed Shou pu-erh poured over dark caramel and oat milk—a creamy, woody, coffee-like iced tea that drinks like dessert without the sugar crash.
Shou pu-erh's earthy, woody depth and smooth mouthfeel make it the closest thing in the tea world to cold brew coffee. When chilled and paired with milk, it doesn't just survive—it thrives, taking on a creamy, almost mocha-like character without ever tasting like coffee.
Dark caramel is the perfect sweetener here. The bitter-sweet notes of well-made dark caramel echo Shou's roasted wood and damp-earth tones, creating layers that go far beyond a flat sugar sweetness. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the end is the chef's-trick finishing touch.
Oat milk is the recommended dairy substitute for a reason: it has just enough natural sweetness and creaminess to enrich Shou without masking its complexity. Whole dairy milk works too, but oat keeps the earthy notes cleaner and lets the tea lead.
Brew the tea strong and concentrated—double the leaf you'd use for hot drinking—so the ice doesn't dilute the flavor into nothing. The contrast of hot strong tea poured over ice and cold milk is what creates that creamy, layered look in the glass.
Ingredients
- 8 g Shou pu-erh leaves
- 200 ml hot water (95°C)
- 1 tbsp dark caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 150 ml oat milk (cold)
- 1 large glass of ice cubes
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
- 1 cinnamon stick for garnish (optional)
How to make it
- 1Rinse the Shou leaves once with 95°C water and discard.
- 2Brew strong: pour the 200 ml hot water over the rinsed leaves and steep for 90 seconds. Strain.
- 3While the tea is hot, stir in the dark caramel sauce until fully dissolved.
- 4Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Pour the cold oat milk over the ice.
- 5Slowly pour the hot caramel-Shou tea over the back of a spoon onto the milk and ice (this creates a beautiful layered effect). Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a cinnamon stick if using. Stir before drinking.
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