How Every Drink Is Built
Almost every drink we make follows the same pattern. Learn this page first; the recipe pages only tell you what changes.
Source: the recipe binder at the drink station (photos on Recipe Binder). When the binder and this wiki disagree, the binder wins. Tell a manager so the wiki gets fixed.
The tea-brewing station
| Spot | What's there | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Top shelf | Tea bag bins: Earl Grey, Jasmine Green, Osmanthus Oolong, White Peach Oolong | One tea bag per drink |
| Left | Hot water dispenser, liquid sugar dispenser | Brewing, sugar by the gram |
| Middle | Tea machine with a left and a right brew cup | Brewing the tea for one drink |
| Right | Coffee machine | Espresso drinks |
| Counter | Tongs, filters, mixing spoons | Tongs put the tea bag in the brew cup; the filter strains the tea into the mixing cup; the spoon mixes |
| Counter, front | Open work area | Measuring syrup, adding powder, mixing |
| Side | 2 blender cups, mixing cups, dishes | Blended drinks, building drinks |
| Table | Ice machine with the ice scoop | Always use the ice scoop, never a cup or your hand |
The three cups
- Brew cup — on the tea machine. Hot water plus one tea bag (use the tongs).
- Mixing cup — the marked shaker cup. Powder or syrup and sugar go in here, then the strained tea, then ice, topped up to the line.
- Customer cup — what the drink is served in. Boba goes in here first.
The numbers
Specials are always Large. Hot drinks are always Regular (one standard hot cup). The register and website only offer the allowed size.
All volumes are the marks on the brew cup and the mixing cup.
| Regular | Large | |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water in the brew cup | 200 | 300 |
| Half ice: brew cup instead | 250 | 350 |
| Cloud latte: brew cup instead (room for espresso + cap) | 150 | 250 |
| Mixing cup topped up to | 500 | 600 |
| Non-dairy creamer (milk teas) | 2 scoops | 3 scoops |
| Flavor powder (milk teas) | 2 scoops | 3 scoops |
| Fruit syrup in the mixing cup | to the bottom of the "MIN" line | to the top of the "MIN" line |
| Boba | scoop ¾ full | scoop full, nothing heaped or overflowing |
Build order: milk teas and fruit teas
- Boba into the customer cup if the drink has it (it covers the bottom and leaves room for the tea).
- Brew: hot water to 200 (regular) or 300 (large) in the brew cup, then the tea bag with the tongs.
- Base into the mixing cup:
- Milk tea: 2 scoops non-dairy creamer + 2 scoops flavor powder (3 + 3 for large).
- Fruit tea: fruit syrup to the bottom of "MIN" (regular) or the top of "MIN" (large).
- Sugar: the ordered amount from the liquid sugar dispenser (table below).
- Strain the tea through the filter into the mixing cup and mix.
- Check milk teas for clumps before any ice goes in.
- Ice (cold drinks), then top up to 500 (regular) or 600 (large).
- Mix and pour into the customer cup.
Hot drinks: skip the ice. After mixing, top up with hot water to the same 500 / 600 line.
Sugar
Sugar is liquid cane sugar, weighed in grams. Match the sweetness on the ticket:
| Ticket says | Regular drink | Large drink |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0 g | 0 g |
| 25% | 5 g | |
| 50% | 10 g | |
| 75% | 10 g | 15 g |
| 100% (regular sweetness) | 15 g | 20 g |
| Extra (binder) | 20 g |
Blank cells
25% and 50% for a Large aren't set yet; ask a manager rather than guessing. For a Regular, 50% and 75% are both 10 g (owner, 2026-10-09).
Ice
| Order says | Do this |
|---|---|
| Regular ice | Brew to 200 / 300, ice, top up to 500 / 600 |
| Half ice / light ice | Brew to 250 / 350 instead, then ice and top up |
| No ice | Top up with tea/water to the line; no ice |
| Hot | No ice; top up with hot water after mixing |
The blender
The blender's normal setting is Shake. Blended drinks change it:
| Setting | Used for |
|---|---|
| Shake | The default. Leave it here. |
| Smoothie | Red Bean Sesame, Special Berry Chocolate |
| Creamer | Cream caps, the matcha froth for Matcha Wonderland |
Turn the knob back
After a Smoothie or Creamer blend, turn the knob back to Shake. The next person expects it there.
Blended drinks always dissolve the powder in a small amount of hot water first, then add ice and blend again. Use a mixing spoon to help pour, and serve right away.
Where to go next
| Drink family | Page |
|---|---|
| Milk teas and fruit teas | Milk Teas & Fruit Teas |
| Specials, blended drinks, cloud lattes, hot chocolate | Specials & Blended Drinks |
| Cream caps (Classic, Sea Salt) | Cream Caps |
| Coffee, syrups, Americano | Coffee Drinks |
| Cooking boba | How to Make Boba |
| Glass-teapot teas | Special Brewed Teas |