Some people are “tasters” who can appreciate subtle flavors. And there are other people, like me, who notice approximately nothing. I’ve taken to drinking really smoky tea with too much sugar in it.

lapsong souchong tea canisters

And I have an idea that is either the best or the worst.

You know how tea with citrus in it is a thing? There are people who put lemon and sugar in their tea?

You also know how that grapefruit Radler that Stiegl makes is really good with a mezcal float? (You didn’t know that? I’m told that Live Wire has the Stiegl Radler on tap and also has a full liquor license. Sycamore Den tends to have the Radler in cans.)

So now I am thinking that I might find a way to infuse some of my tea with grapefruit.

My ideas so far:

  1. There is a house in my neighborhood with a grapefruit tree that comes to harvest roughly this time of year, producing so many grapefruits that the residents can not eat them all. They put a box of grapefruit on the sidewalk with a “free” sign. I could take some grapefruit and do some experiments. Brew tea and add grapefruit juice? Put some grapefruit peel in the tea canister?

  2. Essential oils are all the rage! Put a few drops of grapefruit essential oil on the bottom of the tea canister, put a bit of cheesecloth over it to keep it from touching the tea, and then putting the tea back into the canister to absorb the grapefruit essence.

  3. There is a product line with the name “True Citrus” that consists of little foil packets filled with a scientifically-produced essence of a citrus fruit, and grapefruit is one of their offerings. I could add a packet of “True Grapefruit” to my tea.