Milk Tea Base Preparation

Every milk tea on the menu starts with a properly brewed tea base. The quality of this base determines whether the final drink tastes rich and flavorful or flat and watery. This page covers how to brew, cool, and store the tea bases used across all our boba and milk tea drinks.

Tea Bases We Use

Base	Used In	Tea Type	Brew Strength
Black tea	Classic Milk Tea, Brown Sugar	Assam or Ceylon black tea	Strong
Green tea	Rose Green, Jasmine Green	Jasmine green tea leaves	Medium
Oolong tea	White Peach Oolong, Osmanthus Oolong	Oolong tea leaves	Medium-strong
Thai tea mix	Thai Tea	Pre-blended Thai tea	Very strong
Coffee	Blue Mountain Coffee, Mocha	Espresso-based	Strong

Thai Tea and Coffee

Thai Tea and coffee-based milk teas (Blue Mountain Coffee, Mocha) have their own preparation processes. See Thai Tea and Specialty Drinks for those recipes. This page focuses on the core black, green, and oolong bases.

Black Tea Base

Used for: Classic Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Milk Tea

This is our most-used base. You will go through the most volume of this during a shift.

Batch Recipe (makes ~8-10 servings)

Ingredient	Amount
Black tea leaves (Assam or Ceylon)	4 tablespoons
Hot water	4 cups (32 oz), at a full boil (212F)
Steep time	5-7 minutes

Steps

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil
2. Add 4 tablespoons of black tea leaves to a large tea filter or brewing vessel
3. Pour the boiling water over the leaves
4. Steep for 5-7 minutes -- this needs to be strong since it will be diluted by ice and milk
5. Remove the tea leaves
6. Let the tea cool to room temperature, then transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate

Steep Time Is Important

For milk tea bases, you want a stronger brew than you would drink on its own. The tea needs to hold its flavor against ice and milk. If you steep for only 3 minutes like you would for a regular cup of tea, the final drink will taste like slightly flavored milk.

Green Tea Base

Used for: Rose Green Milk Tea, Jasmine Green Milk Tea and as the base for most Fruit Teas

Batch Recipe (makes ~8-10 servings)

Ingredient	Amount
Green tea leaves (jasmine green or plain green)	3 tablespoons
Hot water	4 cups (32 oz), at 175-180F
Steep time	3-4 minutes

Steps

1. Heat water to 175-180F -- not boiling. If your kettle does not have temperature settings, bring to a boil and let it sit for 3-4 minutes
2. Add 3 tablespoons of green tea leaves to a tea filter or brewing vessel
3. Pour the water over the leaves
4. Steep for 3-4 minutes only. Green tea turns bitter fast if over-steeped
5. Remove the leaves promptly
6. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate

Green Tea Is More Delicate

The two big mistakes with green tea base are using boiling water and steeping too long. Either one will make it bitter and unpleasant. Use cooler water and a shorter steep than you would for black tea.

Oolong Tea Base

Used for: White Peach Oolong, Osmanthus Oolong

Batch Recipe (makes ~8-10 servings)

Ingredient	Amount
Oolong tea leaves	3.5 tablespoons
Hot water	4 cups (32 oz), at 195-200F
Steep time	4-5 minutes

Steps

1. Heat water to 195-200F -- just below boiling
2. Add 3.5 tablespoons of oolong leaves to a tea filter or brewing vessel
3. Pour the water over the leaves
4. Steep for 4-5 minutes
5. Remove the leaves
6. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate

Oolong sits between black and green tea in terms of both temperature and steep time. The flavor should be smooth and aromatic, not bitter.

Cooling and Storing the Base

Cooling

Never pour hot tea concentrate directly over ice to make a drink. The melting ice dilutes it too much. Instead:

1. Brew the base in a batch
2. Let it cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes
3. Transfer to a covered pitcher and put it in the fridge
4. It should be fully chilled before use (at least 1-2 hours, or use an ice bath to speed it up)

Ice Bath Shortcut

If you need the base cold quickly, place the pitcher in a large bowl filled with ice and water. Stir the tea occasionally. It will be cold enough to use in 15-20 minutes.

Storage Rules

Rule	Details
Container	Covered pitcher, labeled with tea type and brew time
Refrigerator shelf life	8 hours for best quality; discard at end of shift
Never	Leave uncovered (absorbs fridge odors), or hold at room temperature for extended periods
Fresh batches	Brew new batches as needed throughout the shift; do not carry over from previous day

Making a Drink from the Base

Once you have your chilled base ready, here is how a standard milk tea comes together:

Standard Milk Tea Build (16 oz cup)

Step	What to Do
1	Add boba (or other toppings) to the cup
2	Fill the cup with ice to the standard level
3	Pour tea base to about 2/3 of the cup
4	Add milk (whole milk or non-dairy substitute if requested) to fill
5	Add sweetener according to the customer's preference
6	Add any flavor syrups specific to the drink (peach, osmanthus, rose, etc.)
7	Stir or seal and shake to combine

Tea-to-Milk Ratio

Drink Style	Tea	Milk	Notes
Standard milk tea	2/3 cup	1/3 cup	Most drinks on the menu
Creamy/rich (Taro, Matcha)	1/2 cup	1/2 cup	Creamier drinks use more milk
Light milk tea	3/4 cup	1/4 cup	For customers who want more tea flavor

When Customers Ask for Adjustments

Customers may ask for "less milk" or "more tea flavor." Adjust the ratio accordingly. Some customers also request oat milk, almond milk, or other non-dairy alternatives. We can accommodate these -- just note that non-dairy milks may change the flavor profile slightly.

Sweetness Levels

Most drinks default to 100% sweetness. Here is how to adjust:

Level	Label	Sweetener Amount
100%	Regular	Full amount (2 pumps of syrup or 2 tbsp sugar)
70%	Less sweet	1.5 pumps / 1.5 tbsp
50%	Half sweet	1 pump / 1 tbsp
30%	Lightly sweet	0.5 pump / 0.5 tbsp
0%	No sugar	None -- just the tea and milk

Always Ask

If the customer does not specify a sweetness level, make it at 100% (regular). If they seem unsure or say "not too sweet," suggest 70% as a good middle ground.

Fruit Tea Build

Fruit teas use the green tea base but skip the milk:

Step	What to Do
1	Add toppings (popping boba, jelly, etc.) if ordered
2	Fill with ice
3	Pour green tea base to about 2/3 of the cup
4	Add fruit syrup/puree for the specific flavor
5	Top off with water or more tea base
6	Stir or shake to combine

Prep Checklist (Start of Shift)

Before opening or starting a shift, make sure the following are ready:

• [ ] Black tea base brewed and chilling (or already cold from prior prep)
• [ ] Green tea base brewed and chilling
• [ ] Oolong tea base brewed and chilling
• [ ] Milk stocked (whole milk, plus any non-dairy options)
• [ ] Sweetener syrups filled
• [ ] Flavor syrups for the day's drinks accessible

Getting these bases ready before customers arrive makes everything else faster during the shift.

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Last updated: March 2026