Mix Tea and Coffee in One Cup

Tea and coffee can be combined in one drink. Yuenyeung is a familiar Hong Kong example: coffee is mixed with tea, commonly served in the milk-tea tradition. The Hong Kong Tourism Board includes it in its description of the long-established Lan Fong Yuen café.

Prepare the two brews separately
Choose one tea and one coffee for the trial. Brew the tea according to its instructions and strain out the leaves. Prepare the coffee with your chosen brewer, keeping grounds out of the finished drink. Separate brewing makes it easier to adjust either component.

Try a small measured serving
For a first tasting, combine 60 ml of brewed black tea with 30 ml of brewed coffee. Stir in a small measured addition of condensed milk or your chosen milk and sweetener, taste, and adjust the next serving. Record the quantity you prefer before making a larger batch.

Adjust one part at a time
More tea brings its character further forward; more coffee changes the balance toward the coffee you brewed. Milk and sweetener change both the taste and texture. Compare versions at the same serving temperature and finished quantity so that you can judge the adjustment.

For an iced version
Prepare a concentrated enough base for the drink you want, then serve it over a measured amount of ice. Melting ice adds water, so include it in the trial rather than comparing only the hot mixture.

For a café menu, keep the exact tea, coffee, milk, sweetener and serving size with the written method. Check the ingredients of the products you use, particularly when changing a milk or flavoured mix.

Compare the coffee and tea preparation steps before choosing equipment for a mixed-drink menu. Record the quantities and exact products used in the finished drink.

Start with the coffee brewing methods comparison, then keep a written recipe for the version you want to repeat.