Big Heart Tea Co. developed two limited edition, hygge-inspired teas for the 2020 gifting season - Rosy & Bright with Assam black tea, organic rose, hibiscus, and cinnamon, and Cozy Night with organic chamomile, lemongrass, and spearmint. Barista and Laura Clark crafted a warm, cheery hot toddy-twist cocktail recipe with both!
THE BARISTA
My name is Laura Clark, and I am the Trainer at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. in Kansas City, Missouri. I train new baristas as well as offer continued training for the teams, and help with quality control with the roasters at PT’s Coffee.
Outside of the hospitality industry, I have a big heart of art. It brings me so much joy; I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. It draws so many people in, whether that’s to an instagram profile, an article, or even a business. Art has such an amazing ability to take people to a new space, even if it’s for a moment.
How has COVID affected you as a barista?
We were definitely busier as a cafe before the pandemic. Where my cafe is located in Kansas City is where our conference centers and big hotels are located, in the heart of downtown. So we were about to enter our busy season as the shutdown and pandemic reached their height.
As things have become more “normal,” business is slowly picking back up, but there is no rhyme or reason to our business. It just makes us appreciate our regulars even more. We’ve become a lot closer to our regulars, because we don’t want to talk about the pandemic, or even the election. In turn, that has caused our regulars to ask about anything else. Which I’ve learned more about them in turn.
Laura's botanical toddy inspiration
As the weather gets cooler, my go to cocktail is definitely a hot toddy, and when I tried the Cozy Night, I knew that I wanted to do a hot toddy-inspired drink. I thought that a nice gin would be amazing in that. I love gin, and having such a floral tea just paired perfectly together.
There’s so many reasons I am excited to work with Big Heart Tea Co. I love herbal teas, especially chamomile with mint. I drink more tea at home than I do coffee. It’s easier to brew, it's easy drinking, and it calms me down. It was fun to come up with a drink that I imagined myself standing with at my window on a snowy day.
the recipe
Rosy & Bright syrup:
- 1 teabags of Rosy & Bright
- 100g water (190º)
- 150g sugar
1. Steep Rosy & Bright in water for 3 minutes.
2. Remove and compost tea bag.
3. Stir in sugar until dissolved and set aside for cocktail
Botanical Toddy:
- 1 teabag of Cozy Night
- 150g water (190º)
- 50g Navy Strength Gin, or preferred brand
- 20g Rosy & Bright syrup
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 cinnamon stick
1. Steep Cozy Night in water for the recommended 2 minutes.
2. Remove tea bag and compost.
3. Add gin, syrup, lemon slice, and cinnamon stick, and stir 'til combined.
5. Enjoy in your favorite sweater on your favorite chair.