Peach Mandarin – Redstraw Tea Bar

Today was our last Russian session in a while with one of my friends (I study with two others), who’s moving back to college early to start his RA training. I find it a little crazy, because it shows summer is ending (for some of us!) and because sometimes I forget not everyone starts school as late as I do. As such, our session was a little longer today, and we went over a variety of things, including vocabulary, building adjectives, and others.

I find it a little funny, because recently every time we go to Redstraw my friend (the one who’s leaving us) and I get the same drink because he partially copies my order / we’re interested in the same thing. Since I get my drink after we’re done and he gets his before we start, it’s almost some reverse copy. I expressed my interest in trying the Peach Mandarin custom tea (which I was going to try last week until I saw the Peach Bellini) when my friends were ordering, and he went ahead and ordered it because he thought it sounded good. I guess I get a somewhat preview before I actually order it!

He ended up telling me it was good, so I ordered mine later confidently. I totally agree. The Peach Mandarin is a relatively simple flavored drink, which makes for a nice refresher (literally!) from other drinks with complex and multiple flavors. Neither the peach nor the tea overpowers the other, though I was hoping for a peachier or fruitier flavor. The actual drink is more like a light black tea with a hint of peach flavor. Maybe in the future I’ll get less sugar, which might bring out more peach flavor?

I thought by ordering from the Custom Tea menu I’d get to see them brew it fresh for me again, but it came out relatively quickly and even out of a tea jug/spout/whatever the big metal thing is called. Is that even custom anymore?! I was a little disappointed, but the drink was still overall good. The boba today was very nice, super chewy and just a little sweet.

Oh yeah, you might have noticed the plastic cap in the picture (if you didn’t, now you do). For some reason the seal machine at Redstraw doesn’t work almost half the time, as evidenced by my friends and my purchases, so sometimes the employee takes the drink out of the machine and realizes theres spillage. I saw the girl handling my drink today take mine out of the machine, and shake it to make sure it’s sealed, and she suddenly goes, “Oh sh*t” over the sink, and proceeds to to put the plastic lid on my drink. I don’t mind as long as it’s not a lot, but I still saw that… *thinking emoji* Thanks.

Details: Peach Mandarin; 50% Sugar; Iced; No ice; with honey boba; from Redstraw Tea Bar (Irvine)