Thé Sureau

is a stylish summer drink when served ice-cold and neat, for outdoor temperatures where other sparkling wines fail. 

Elderberry (接骨木) also plays a role in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The plant is said to have the natural properties (药性) of being sweet and bitter (甘苦), cold (寒) and non-toxic (无毒). As a sparkling wine and bitter, Thé Sureau also fits into numerous drink ideas.

Liqueurs

In cocktail bars, the bitter note of green tea is often paired with fruit liqueurs. This eliminates the sweetness of the liqueur and creates space for the fruit aromas to unfold. We have received positive feedback for strawberry, quince and elderberry liqueurs. However, the list is sure to grow.

Fruit sorbets

For ice cream parlours, the combination with light fruit ice cream preparations (‘sorbets’) has proven successful. As ‘Le Monardo’, the combination with lemon sorbet in particular has won many fans. Depending on the vintage and specific seasoning of Thé Sureau, mango and strawberry sorbets have also worked well.

Mariposa

Created as a wedding cocktail, ‘Mariposa’ is a popular ‘light’ version of Thé Sureau. The proportion of white wine spritzer and bitter lemon can be varied widely, further reducing the already low alcohol content of less than 10%.

Fruit juices

Another way to avoid alcohol is to mix it directly with fruit juices. We have had good feedback with apple and pear juice. In our experience, juices with a low sugar content are preferred.

Punch

We tested a special form of serving using fruit juice in the form of strawberry punch. For this, sliced strawberries are marinated in tart pear juice and, for example, when receiving guests, poured over with Thé Sureau and served in a champagne bowl as an eye-catcher.

Culinary setting

Thé Sureau basically goes well with all dishes that can also be served with green tea. In our experience, these are dishes with intense flavours that leave room for a ‘second channel’, which is then served by the bitter substances. Unlike brewed green tea, the carbonated and cold Thé Sureau adds an extra dimension to the culinary experience.

Grilled fresh fish

On a charcoal grill/tandoori/barbecue, protein roasting aromas are created which, when salt is added, fill the entire mouth. A drink with sparkling freshness enhances this experience on the one hand, while the sugar-free bitter note defines it, similar to the contour of a drawing or a pause in music.

Red curry

The spicy aroma spectrum of red ingredients such as chilli, paprika and tomatoes conveys a comprehensive warmth that can easily become overwhelming. Here, too, the fresh, sparkling bitter note is experienced as an enrichment that simultaneously creates a foundation.

Minestrone

The variety of light vegetable flavours, enveloped in the aroma of olive oil, produces a broad-based enjoyment that knows no bounds as a soup. Here, Thé Sureau creates a brief, abrupt refreshment break with a pause and all the more intense enjoyment afterwards.

Sushi

Raw fish wrapped in sticky rice and accented with ginger, wasabi and soy sauce creates a varied landscape of aromas and flavours. Here, Thé Sureau takes on the role of providing shade, allowing you to take a brief break, like a painter from his easel.

Cheese platter

‘Cheese closes the stomach,’ is a French saying. The refreshingly framed bitter note of Thé Sureau creates contours of enjoyment through small interruptions between mature mountain cheese, flowing blue cheese and creamy Camembert.