Tea, the second most widely consumed beverage in the world, is getting stronger in China. Rum maker Bacardi has managed to make an alcoholic beverage distilled entirely from tea leaves. Named Tang, this drink is produced using a “groundbreaking” process that is able to release complex sugars from green tea leaves to make way for fermentation. The mash is then distilled and blended to heighten certain flavours, before being diluted to 40% abv with French spring water in Cognac, France.
Meant to be consumed neat, Tang is a bold and fragrant spirit with a smooth and bitter-sweet taste of tea.
Only 2,000 bottles have been produced for the initial run, with the first 500 individually numbered. The beverage is initially being sold at a duty-free shop in Hong Kong, retailing for about $260 per 500 milliliter bottle, before a broader expansion in some Chinese restaurants.
