The Teamericano

A step-by-step recipe to craft a calming Teamericano with loose leaf oolong tea and specialty espresso.

Photo by Cortez Artis

Dear coffee lovers,

Looking for a comforting, hot drink to satisfy your tea and coffee needs? We’ve got a unique drink just for you. I came across a recipe recently that combines the concept of the Americano (espresso + hot water) with a cup of oolong tea. The result is a pleasant fusion of rich espresso with the subtleties of oolong tea.

Let’s get brewing!

You’ll need

• Your favorite mug for hot drinks 💙

• A light/medium roast coffee with a fruity, floral, and/or tea-like flavor profile

• Loose leaf oolong tea (tea sachets work well too)

  • Lower budget: Formosa Oolong from Harney & Sons for $11.50

  • Higher budget: Classic Rougui from Song Tea & Ceramics for $36

• A vessel to brew your tea in (I personally use the Kalita Wave Glass Server)

• A scale to weigh your tea and coffee

• An espresso machine for espresso shots

  • Don’t have an espresso machine? No problem. Get yourself some instant espresso or use an Aeropress, Aeropress filters, and a flow control extension to make faux-espresso

• A grinder for espresso

Ingredients

• Hot water: 170-225g (190-200°F / 88-93°C)

• Shot of espresso

• 2g (1tsp) of oolong tea

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Recipe steps

1. Measure out 2g of oolong tea then add the tea to your brewing vessel

2. Heat your water for brewing to 190-200°F (88-93°C)

3. Rinse and heat your tea brewing vessel with hot water

4. Once your water comes to temperature, add 170-225g (6-8oz) of water to your brewing vessel to start steeping

5. Steep your tea for 3-4 minutes depending on the strength you prefer or follow the steeping instructions from the maker of your tea

6. While your tea is steeping, pull your shot of espresso (or brew your coffee)

7. Once your tea is finished steeping, pour it into your mug

8. Add 1-2oz of espresso (per your tasting preference) to your oolong tea

9. Gently stir the espresso into your tea and enjoy 💙

Photo by Huey Melendez

If you’d prefer to add milk or simple syrup to your Teamericano, feel free to do so. However, I’d recommend drinking it as is to appreciate its simplicity. I hope you enjoy your Teamericano while reflecting on the slow process of brewing the espresso and tea components of this soothing drink.

Have a beautiful day,
Jon Hargreaves
Coffee Club Founder/Designer

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Editor: Lexi Deverich
Direction: Huey Melendez & Cortez Artis
Photography: Huey Melendez & Cortez Artis

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Recommended equipment & ingredients

Continue reading for recommended products to make this recipe at home! 👀

Lower budget

• Coffee: Apollo from Counter Culture for $19

• Loose leaf oolong tea: Formosa Oolong from Harney & Sons for $11.50

• Tea brewing vessel: Tea Infuser Basket from OXO for $14.99

• Scale: Digital Kitchen Scale from Amazon Basics for $11.49

• Instant espresso: Craft Instant Espresso Multiserve from Blue Bottle for $25

• To make faux-espresso:

  • AeroPress Coffee Maker for $39.95

  • AeroPress Paper Micro-Filters for $9.95

  • AeroPress Stainless Steel Filter for $14.95

  • AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap for $24.95

• Coffee grinder: Encore from Baratza for $149.95