Milk Tea Base Preparation
Most milk teas use the same measured powder pattern over a brewed tea base. A few tea- or syrup-forward milk teas have documented exceptions. This page covers both the standard build and those exceptions.
Brewed Per Cup, Not in Batches
We brew tea per cup, to order, using the tea aeration machine — there is no batch brewing, no advance prep, and nothing steeped ahead of time or stored in a pitcher. The aeration machine infuses each cup in a matter of seconds, not minutes. Milk teas use measured non-dairy creamer powder and the matching powdered drink mix. They do not use liquid milk, condensed milk, or evaporated milk.
Tea Bases We Use
| Base | Used In | Tea Type | Brew Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black tea | Classic, Brown Sugar, Taro, Matcha, Blue Mountain, Mocha, Thai | Earl Grey black tea | Strong |
| Green tea | Rose Green, Jasmine Green, Sakura Rose Green, and most Fruit Teas | Jasmine green tea | Medium |
| Oolong tea | White Peach Oolong, Osmanthus Oolong, and Juicy Peach Oolong Fruit Tea | The labeled oolong tea bag | Medium-strong |
Powder Pattern and Exceptions
Classic, Thai, Taro, Matcha, Sakura Rose, Blue Mountain, and Mocha use the standard matching-powder ratio below. Brown Sugar, Rose Green, Jasmine Green, Osmanthus Oolong, and White Peach Oolong use the exception table below.
Black Tea Base
Used for most milk teas, including Classic, Brown Sugar, Taro, Matcha, Blue Mountain, Mocha, and Thai Milk Tea.
This is our most-used base. Select Black Tea on the aeration machine for each cup — it infuses at full-boil temperature (212F) in a matter of seconds. The machine's black tea cycle is calibrated to brew stronger than a drinking-strength cup on its own, since it needs to hold its flavor against ice and the drink's other components. There's no manual steeping and nothing to prepare ahead of time.
Green Tea Base
Used for: Rose Green, Jasmine Green, and Sakura Rose Green Milk Tea, and as the base for most Fruit Teas.
Select Green Tea on the aeration machine for each cup — it infuses at a lower temperature (175-180F) and a shorter cycle than black tea, which avoids the bitterness that comes from over-steeping or too-hot water. Nothing to prepare in advance.
Oolong Tea Base
Used for: White Peach Oolong Milk Tea, Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea, and Juicy Peach Oolong Fruit Tea.
Select Oolong Tea on the aeration machine for each cup — it infuses at 195-200F, between black and green tea in both temperature and cycle length. The flavor should be smooth and aromatic, not bitter.
Making a Drink
Here is how a standard milk tea comes together, brewed per cup as ordered:
Standard Milk Tea Build (16 oz cup)
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Add boba (or other toppings) to the cup |
| 2 | Add the measured non-dairy creamer powder dose (see table below) |
| 3 | Add the matching powdered drink mix, or the syrup/tea exception listed below |
| 4 | Fill the cup with ice to the standard level |
| 5 | Brew the tea for this cup on the aeration machine, into the cup |
| 6 | Add sweetener or any recipe-card add-ins according to the order |
| 7 | Blend to combine completely, with no powder clumps |
No Liquid Milk in Milk Tea
Milk teas use non-dairy creamer powder. Do not add dairy milk, alternative milk, sweetened condensed milk, or evaporated milk. Espresso lattes are a separate drink family and follow their own recipe cards.
Non-Dairy Creamer & Flavor Powder Amounts
The standard matching-powder milk teas use:
| Size | Non-Dairy Creamer | Matching Powdered Mix |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | 2 scoops | 2 scoops |
| Large | 3 scoops | 3 scoops |
Use the powder labeled for the drink: Thai milk tea powder for Thai Tea, taro powder for Taro Milk Tea, Original Milk Tea Powder for Classic Milk Tea, and the corresponding labeled mix for Matcha, Sakura Rose, Blue Mountain, and Mocha.
Milk-Tea Exceptions
All of these still use 2 scoops of non-dairy creamer for a regular or 3 scoops for a large:
| Drink | Flavor Component | Tea Base |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Sugar Milk Tea | 1 scoop Original Milk Tea Powder at either size + Brown Sugar Syrup | Earl Grey black tea |
| Jasmine Green Milk Tea | No separate flavor powder or syrup | Jasmine green tea |
| Rose Green Milk Tea | Rose syrup | Jasmine green tea |
| Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea | Osmanthus syrup | Osmanthus oolong tea |
| White Peach Oolong Milk Tea | Peach syrup | White Peach Oolong tea |
Do not substitute Brown Sugar Powder or Peach Oolong Tea Powder; those products are not used.
The Only Creamer Component
This non-dairy creamer powder is the only creamer in every milk tea -- there is no liquid milk poured on top of it.
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 creamer |
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 a brewed tea base and concentrated fruit syrup. Most use green tea; Juicy Peach Oolong is the exception and uses White Peach Oolong tea. Fruit teas skip non-dairy creamer.
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Add toppings (popping boba, jelly, etc.) if ordered |
| 2 | Fill with ice |
| 3 | Brew green tea for this cup, or White Peach Oolong for Juicy Peach Oolong |
| 4 | Measure the concentrated fruit syrup using the markings on the cup |
| 5 | Top off with water if needed |
| 6 | Blend to combine |
Standard Fruit Syrup Amount
Use the cup markings for the concentrated fruit syrup: 100ml regular / 150ml large. This applies to Blueberry, California Orange, Golden Passion Fruit, Guava, Juicy Peach Oolong, Lychee, Mango, Pineapple, Royal Rose, and Strawberry. Juicy Peach uses the same syrup measurement but its tea base is White Peach Oolong.
Prep Checklist (Start of Shift)
Before opening or starting a shift, make sure the following are ready:
- [ ] Tea aeration machine stocked with all tea types and ready to go
- [ ] Non-dairy creamer powder stocked
- [ ] Fruit tea syrups stocked
- [ ] Sweetener syrups filled
- [ ] Flavor syrups for the day's drinks accessible
There's no batch tea to prep ahead of time -- everything is brewed per cup as orders come in.
Last updated: August 2026