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 the tea aeration process and how a drink comes together.
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. We also do not use dairy milk or offer milk substitutions (oat, almond, etc.) anywhere on the menu — the only creamer component is the measured non-dairy creamer powder covered below.
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. 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 Milk Tea, Jasmine 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, Osmanthus Oolong
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 | Fill the cup with ice to the standard level |
| 4 | Brew the tea for this cup on the aeration machine, into the cup |
| 5 | Add sweetener according to the customer's preference |
| 6 | Add any flavor syrups specific to the drink (peach, osmanthus, rose, etc.) |
| 7 | Blend to combine |
No Milk, No Substitutions
We don't use dairy milk or offer milk alternatives (oat, almond, etc.) anywhere on the menu. The only creamer component in any milk tea is the measured non-dairy creamer powder below. If a customer asks for a specific milk swap, let them know it's not something we offer.
Non-Dairy Creamer & Flavor Powder Amounts
Every milk tea gets a measured dose of non-dairy creamer powder plus whatever gives the drink its specific flavor. These are the standardized amounts (matches the recipe-costing system):
| Drink | Non-Dairy Creamer | Flavor Component |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Milk Tea | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Earl Grey tea itself -- no separate powder |
| Brown Sugar | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Brown Sugar Syrup, ~50ml reg / ~75ml large |
| White Peach Oolong | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Peach Concentrate, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Rose Green | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Rose Concentrate, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Sakura Rose Green | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Sakura Rose Powder, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Osmanthus Oolong | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Osmanthus Oolong tea itself -- no separate powder |
| Taro | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Taro Powder, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Jasmine Green | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Jasmine Green tea itself -- no separate powder |
| Blue Mountain Coffee | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Coffee Beans, 2 scoops reg / 2 scoops large |
| Mocha | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Chocolate Powder, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Matcha Latte | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Matcha Powder, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large |
| Matcha Tash-Style | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Matcha Powder, 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large, plus honey and lavender mixed in |
| Thai Tea | 0.5oz reg / 0.75oz large | Thai Milk Tea Powder, 2 scoops reg / 3 scoops large |
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 the green tea base but skip the non-dairy creamer -- they're syrup-based, not made with fresh fruit:
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Add toppings (popping boba, jelly, etc.) if ordered |
| 2 | Fill with ice |
| 3 | Brew green tea for this cup on the aeration machine |
| 4 | Add fruit syrup for the specific flavor |
| 5 | Top off with water if needed |
| 6 | Blend to combine |
Standard Fruit Syrup Amount
All fruit teas use 100ml regular / 150ml large of fruit syrup. This is consistent across every fruit tea on the menu (Blueberry, California Orange, Golden Passion Fruit, Guava, Juicy Peach Oolong, Mango, Pineapple, Royal Rose, Strawberry). Lychee Long Island does not yet have a documented recipe -- flag to a manager if asked to make one.
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: July 2026