Tea Cocktails – Redstraw Tea Bar

Okay, so I’m pretty sure there’s actually no alcohol sold at Redstraw Tea Bar. I don’t drink alcohol (see my About page), so I don’t know what’s in a Mojito either, but the time I got the Mango Mojito, it seemed to just be lime and mint, which is a nice flavor combination. I wish they actually said that on the menu though. Overall, their menu is very enticing, and the pictures of the drinks are so aesthetic. My family doesn’t frequent Redstraw much, but I’m excited to try out more of their drinks, including the non-milk ones. I think their milk tea drinks are fine, don’t get me wrong, but they seem to be more known for the non-milk tea drinks (just look at those colors!). The descriptions also sound very delicious too.

What I find wild here is that usually hot drinks cost more than the cold drinks in my opinion (you can tell me your experiences in the comments!), but here they cost less than their cold drink counterparts. There was also a sign (in the Irvine location) that said no ice drinks don’t fill to the top, so for those who don’t like that, I guess avoid Redstraw? It wasn’t too noticeable for me though, and I’m still happy with the quantity I get. I always get no ice and I’ve gotten it filled before…. Perhaps a post to come on that whole debate (it’s not really a “debate”, but shhh content).

After trying a few drinks I’ve noticed this distinct flavor, which I hypothesize comes from their syrup. Whenever I get my standard 50%, that same flavor is pretty noticeable, but when I want a less sweet drink and get 25%, I don’t taste it so…

I think Redstraw is just about settling in to their establishment. I remember the times when I used to get Redstraw, the the cup would look the same as it is now, but the logo was just taped on! Now their cup has the logo imprinted and their established aesthetic on it (random outlined abstract drawings).

And yes, their straws are red. No one probably asked though.

Chain? Yes. I’ve only been to the Irvine location.

Drinks Tried: Thai Tea, Thai Tea Sea Cream (nicely balanced), Jasmine Green Milk Tea, Mango Mojito, Japanese Cherry Sakura, Peach Bellini, Peach Mandarin, Earl Grey Creme, Grapefruit Punch, Osmanthus Oolong, Genmaicha, Chamomile, French Daisy

Boba: The boba here has a very good chew, and all around soft on the inside. I don’t think it’s that inherently sweet though, which works when you don’t want a sweet drink I guess.

Price: I think the price is mostly worth it. It can verge on the expensive side a little, with some drinks costing more than $5. Though the one topping is included with no extra charge!

Size: One size here (for the most part I think)! A while back I saw they had a brown sugar drink, and I think that one had a smaller cup for some reason. What’s up with brown sugar and smaller cups (literally just milk and brown sugar…)? Some of their other new drinks use that small cup too. One time I ordered the Brown Sugar Milk for my mom, and they asked if I wanted the larger size, and I said yes, so I’m still somewhat confused ha.

Interior: It definitely has that minimal-millennial aesthetic to it. Weird detail, but the chairs are gorgeous. Too bad they’re all up while in quarantine.

Wait: Almost no wait time here! Maybe if you come at a busy time, but otherwise it’s pretty fast.

Sell Food? No.

Reward System? Yes. They use FiveStars, but it’s 75 points for a free drink which is about ~15 drinks. I’ve been getting emails from Fivestars with discounts which are somewhat useful.