Welcome to Teetotaler, a new online column geared at showing you the amazing non-alcoholic drink options around the city. You’ve seen our recommendations for where to get the best brews, booze and bubbly around town. Now it’s time to show you that you don’t have to get tipsy to taste the best this city has to offer. Here’s to the teetotalers in all of us. The concept of bubble tea may seem foreign, as it originated in Taiwan only a few decades ago. However, bubble tea is actually quite accessible here in landlocked St. Louis. Not always containing actual tea, the term “bubble tea” is quite broad and can include beverages made from fruit, syrup, ice, milk or even flavored powder. If kumquat, plum, lychee or avocado sound intimidating, stick to more familiar flavors like green tea, mango, coconut and strawberry. The drink is always sweet and often delicious.
When most people think of bubble tea, they also think of boba – small, gummy orbs made of tapioca. While boba are not necessary to enjoy this beverage, they certainly enhance the experience, creating a texture that’s slightly disorienting. An oddity at first, boba are pleasantly, sweetly subtle and give you something to look forward to with each sip.
At OR Juice and Smoothie in Richmond Heights and the Central West End, the winners are the mango and honeydew bubble teas. Sweet and refreshing, they are made with a flavored powder blended with water, ice and creamer. The hot milk and black tea version is also a great option. You may want to leave the boba out of this one, though, since they melt a bit and become chewier than normal when added to a hot drink.
Of the 154-plus options for bubble tea here in town, St. Louis Bubble Tea in Creve Coeur and The Loop has the most extensive menu, serving as any liquid-lover’s dream. This place touches all the bases in terms of variety and offers not only boba but also coconut jelly (among other things) to add to your drink. Once your drink is prepared, the server then shrink-wraps the top of the cup with a plastic cover decorated with Asian characters through which to poke your oversized straw that’s just wide enough to suck up the boba at the bottom.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2010.