White tea shots are easy-to-make delicious shots with just 3 simple ingredients that are often popular with the ladies at bridal showers, summer get-togethers, and student bars. This alcoholic drink costs about $10 if you were to buy it at a bar but is much cheaper if you make it at home yourself.
It’s also quick and easy, so you’ll definitely want to give it a try. In this article, we’re going to give you our best white tea shot recipe so that you can enjoy these tea shots wherever and whenever you want!
How the White Tea Shot Got Its Name
Funnily enough, the classic white tea shot recipe contains no actual white tea. Let us explain. Before the white tea shot, the original green tea shot recipe was invented by the Jameson Irish Whiskey company. Mainly as a way to encourage people to drink more whiskey!
The whiskey is the only difference between the two (swap that for vodka and you’ve got the white tea version). The reason it got named a “green tea” shot was because, with its green color, it looked quite like green tea. It doesn’t contain any actual green tea though.
So, when people started using vodka instead of whiskey, it got named a white tea shot because of its white color, despite having no white tea!
Ingredients in a White Tea Shot
First, let’s take a look at the main ingredients:
These popular shots contain just three main ingredients – peach schnapps for a fruity floral taste, your favorite vodka, and sour mix to give it a tangy hint of citrus. These are all added in the same ratio.
There are plenty of variations, but those are the most important ingredients if you want a classic tea shot (you can make some substitutions if you’re missing an ingredient).
We’ll take a look at some variations later on, but first of all, you may be wondering about the white tea. Where is it and why isn’t it mentioned?
How to Make This Drink
As mentioned already, the simple ingredients in a white tea shot are peach schnapps, vodka, and sour mix. For the perfect shot, these should be measured out in equal parts – so 1 oz or 1.5 oz of each.
Although you don’t need bar tools or equipment, a co*cktail shaker is the best way to combine the ingredients. Anything with a tight lid will work though e.g. a mason jar. A jigger is also useful for measuring the ingredients, but you could measure using a measuring spoon or a shot glass.
Shot glasses are also a must, but if you decide to make this into a co*cktail (which we’ll go into in just a minute) you will need a tall glass for serving.
The method for this drink recipe is easy – just add the 3 ingredients to the co*cktail shaker, give it a good shake for around 15 seconds with some ice cubes, and serve in shot glasses. If you want to garnish the drink just use some lime wedges or a lemon wedge.
As you can see, the total time to make a simple white tea shot is only a few minutes!
White Tea Shot Variation
If you prefer a sweet taste you can add some simple syrup (this can be made with sugar and water).
Got no sour mix? You can substitute for some lemon juice, lime juice, or even some lemon-lime soda for a fizzy version.
Out of vodka? Tequila or white rum will also work. With tequila the shot is made the exact same way – just swap out the vodka for tequila and use equal parts of each ingredient.
For a rum version, you can actually use real white tea! Here’s how:
How to Make a White Tea Shot with Rum
White tea is one of the most delicate teas, and to make this drink you can use loose white tea leaves or white tea bags.
There are lots of different types of white tea, but some of the best white teas to use, with the best flavor and highest quality, are darker shou mei, silver needle, or white peony tea leaves (you should be able to get these at your local grocery store or online). Loose-leaf tea is the easiest way to find white peony.
The prep time takes a little longer as you have to prepare the tea first, but it’s still quick and easy to do. You will need 2 oz brewed tea (cool before using), 1.5 oz of rum, and 1 oz each of simple syrup and lime juice. Add to a co*cktail shaker and shake for 10-15 seconds and you’ll have a delicious alcoholic white tea drink.
If you’re using actual tea, white tea does have some health benefits. It’s good for weight loss, is high in antioxidants, and can even boost the immune system, with many of the same benefits as green tea. We can’t say the same for the actual white tea shot (with no tea) as it’s made up of mostly just alcohol.
White Tea co*cktails
A white tea co*cktail is just a white tea shot made into a fruity flavor co*cktail by topping up a tall glass with lemon-lime soda. These popular co*cktails have a preparation time of just a few minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator if you want to make them ahead of time.
There are quite a few tea co*cktail recipes that are the perfect combination of tea and booze. Here are a few of my favorite tea co*cktails.
White Tea Shots are Delicious – Even Without the Tea
Although this alcoholic beverage is derived from the classic green tea shot recipe with its green hue invented by the Jameson Whiskey company, for vodka lovers the white tea version will be a firm favorite.
Its fruity floral flavor is delicious, and there are lots of ways to change it up with new recipes and ideas being posted online all the time. And if you want to make it into a co*cktail, a great way to enjoy it without the alcohol burn is to add some fizzy lemon soda!
