Top Ten Summer Soft-Drinks for Piping Pleasure
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Kevin Godbee - Aug 18, 2014
- 8 min read
E. Roberts
As should be expected of someone who taste-tests tobacco for a living, I’m intolerably outrageously somewhat opinionated about my choice of drinks, both "on-duty" and "off-duty", so to speak. It’s only natural that in addition to spending a good amount of time thinking critically about tobacco, I apply some small rigor to my selection of beverages. Considering the average human requires a couple of liters of liquid added to their engine every day, I see this as an opportunity to have no shortage of variety on the menu. Drinking some kind of beverage while enjoying a pipe is essential for having the best experience. The continual cleansing of the palate can help you discern tastes better, and it’s beneficial to you by both mechanically cooling the mouth off after an influx of hot smoke, and counteracting the mildly dehydrating effects of smoking. As an added bonus, a beverage with a slightly acidic pH will have the effect of counterbalancing the slightly alkaline pH of pipe smoke, smoothing out any rough edges.
So, from the lowbrow to the high life, here’s a selection of what I’ve been tippling this summer.
Water can crash, water can flow. Be like water, my friend. —Bruce Lee
Water—The Universal Solvent
TAP WATER is wonderful stuff, as basic as it gets, and I’m fortunate to live in a major metropolitan area that has rather highly-regarded tap water. However, I’ve done a fair amount of traveling both at home and abroad, and clean, neutral-tasting water is not always easy to come by for around 80% of the planet, thus the market for bottled water. It is by far the cheapest, most refreshing, and easiest option, and pairs well with any tobacco that you want to taste.
SPARKLING WATERS add some effervescence and usually a slight mineral content to the party. The mineral content can vary from brand to brand; highly mineralized water has a definite difference in the mouthfeel and taste, and can affect taste perception of the smoke, usually serving to highlight different aspects of the tobacco. I make it a point to try several bowls of any review tobacco with a sparkling water, usually my old standby, Saratoga Spring Water. It’s a hometown fave, produced a short drive Upstate at Saratoga Springs, in the foothills of the Adirondacks. It tends to be highly carbonated and has a slightly sweet, slightly salty tang though it is devoid of sodium or sugar. The cobalt blue bottle is classy, too, and impresses dates when they peruse my fridge. Again, pairs well with anything you care to smoke, from sticky aromatics to dark and heavy Latakia blends but I’ll make a suggested pairing anyway: McCranie’s Red Ribbon; it’s like rediscovering red Virginia every time.
You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. — Rabindranath Tagore
Another must-mention is Gerolsteiner Sparkling. Purportedly the number one brand in the world, and I’m inclined to believe it, because it’s quite unlike any other. With a very high mineral content, particularly calcium and magnesium as well as a small amount of sodium, it’s the best palate-resetter I’ve found. It has a remarkably complex mouthfeel, at the same time slick and effervescent, and is particularly effective at enhancing the Latakia leaf’s aroma and flavor. Back in the day when I was in the coffee business, one of the more interesting cuppings I attended actually involved tasting the same coffee while cleansing the palate with a variety of mineral waters. The subtle changes evoked in the perception of how the same coffee tasted differently when paired against different waters was enlightening, enough to stick with me years later. Suggested pairing: McClelland’s entire Grand Oriental Series. No, seriously, all of them!
In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans;
in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence. — Khalil Gibran
Soft-Serve
Sodas are a loaded topic here in NYC, and it should be no surprise that a tobacco-centric article should mention another of former Nanny Bloomberg’s inanimate arch-nemeses. Luckily for us New Yorkers, our judiciary branch repeatedly struck down Hizzoner’s crusade, citing reason and common sense as well as the authority of law, and we’re still able to make our own choices with bubbly sweet beverages.
It is hard to imagine a time when Coca-Cola didn’t exist. —Ridley Scott.
There’s nothing like a Coke and a smile on a hot summer day—but make mine a Mexican. Mexican Coke is still made with actual sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup, and the taste is, well, like it used to be when I was a kid. Coke like it was meant to be; minus the cocaine of course. The taste and sugar content can overwhelm mild or sweet tobaccos easily, so stick to heavier, stronger blends. My suggested pairing: the recently reviewed Oak Alley from C&D. Bonus points for naming the background image.
Traveling in a fried-out Kombi / On a hippie trail, head full of zombie — Men At Work.
A recent discovery is Bundaberg Root Beer, and it was love at first taste. It comes from the land Down Under, Queensland to be exact, and it’s a remarkable brewed bevvie. Touting all-natural ingredients and hand-crafted process, it is a standout in the category. Unlike most root beers, it does not strive to knock you out with spiciness; rather, it entices you with its complexity, and rewards you with a deep rich taste that is more root than beer, and lightly carbonated. Real sarsaparilla, cane sugar, molasses, licorice and vanilla are a mix made in heaven to me, and despite its steep price tag here in the states, it’s worth it for a unique drink. It’s decidedly on the treacly side, and interestingly, pairing it with Peterson’s 2014 Summertime blend really brought out the earthy vegetal side of the tobacco, while masking most of the fruity sweetness. Another tactic: pair it with something strong and possibly in the opposite direction—I’ll suggest GL Pease Gaslight or Maltese Falcon for a good companion (neither tins of which I could find for this photoshoot…ah, the joys of a disorganized cellar).
That’s French for club soda. — Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting
Apparently, the French take their soda pop as seriously as their wine–case in point: Lorina Sparkling Blood Orange Soda. It’s another all-natural soft drink, with a short list of ingredients that includes real sugar and orange juice. Blood orange is one of my weaknesses, and this pop delivers in spades with a light, crisp and refreshing flavor. Interestingly, it pairs really well with aromatics, as there are very few that really hit an orangey tone, even among those that are regarded as citrusy. Blenders take note: if you formulate a really good blood orange aromatic tobacco, you’ve found a customer for life. A suggested pairing would be NYPC’s own Bedloe’s Island; the Orientals react well to the sweet & sour tartness of the soft drink and exhibit their full range of aromas.
Making a movie a movie and not directing the little moments is like drinking a soda
and leaving the little slurp puddle for someone else. — Steven Spielberg
Belvoir Elderflower Lemonade completes the sugary bottled drinks survey. It’s crisp, sharp, floral, and cuts through a heavy tobacco without pushing the flavors aside. The elderflower creates an unusual profile with the lemonade, but one that is exceedingly charming. I suggest pairing it with a fellow British export, a fresh batch of Dunhill Aperitif straight from the Jermyn Street shop (thanks again, Andy!). Whiling away the afternoon with this photo shoot, I lose track of the time in ruminative bliss. Pro Tip: "Belvoir" is pronounced "beever". Those crazy Brits!
Teas, Please!
If you’ve read more than a few of my articles here at PipesMagazine, you know I’m a bit of a tea fanatic, and this holds for cold brews as well as hot ones. I could write volumes about teas and never feel that I’d completed the task, so infinitely varied are the offerings available from the humble camellia sinensis leaf. In the interest of brevity, I’ll focus in on what I’ve been enjoying this summer.
Teavana offers two nearly confectionary blends that I’ve been guzzling as iced teas this season: Blood Orange Sorbet and Cha Yen Thai. Blood Orange Sorbet is a blend based on Oolong with bits of fruits (blood orange, plum, cherry, etc.) and herbs (beetroot, rose hips, hibiscus, etc.), and lightly sweetened with coconut blossom sugar. Cold-brewed at a balance of 2 teaspoons per quart of water, it makes for an impressive warm-weather refresher, which I’ve been pairing with Sterling’s VaPer blend in the sultry evening hours. The faint sweetness of the tea and the range of fruit flavors draws out some of the same from the Perique, while the black tea balances the Virginia.
Tea…is a religion of the art of life. —Okakura
Cha Yen Thai is a black tea base with red rooibos, sprinkled through with candied pineapple, anise, ginger and coconut. At once invigorating and soothing, it is conspicuously complex yet never stands in the way of tasting one’s tobacco. Preferring it in the morning hours, I find it pairs well with a straight-up blend like Solani’s 656: Aged Burley Flake.
I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Finally, I fly in the face of convention by cold-brewing Twinings Lady Grey tea. It’s a lighter take on the Earl Grey recipe, employing a bit more bergamot and lemon to sweeten the deal. With its sharp, clear taste, hint of citrus and mild caffeine content, it makes a perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Brew it mild to avoid bitterness, and pair it with Escudo for losing yourself in those deep thoughts.
Iced tea may not have as much wisdom as hot tea, but in the summer better a cool and refreshed dullard than a steamy sweat-drenched sage—leave sagacity to the autumn! — Linda Solegato
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this little exercise in flavor hedonics for your warm-weather quaffing. Don’t consider it a definitive list of anything, by any means, but rather a springboard for you to experiment with your own drink pairings—and tell us about them in the comments section below.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedom’s philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Pundit’s way of summing it up. You just don’t go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. 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A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. Naturally a Virginia-Perique, it is enhanced with a traditional core of black Cavendish. In the tin it holds much promise, with a lightly bready and very woody, if ever-so-slightly sour, aroma. After some time acclimating to air, the bouquet softens further and offers hints of the burley with some chocolaty notes wafting through the more dominant dry grassy aspect. The tin art is of a coin-style bas-relief bust, presumably of a founding Sutliff brother, à la The Old Boss On the reverse of the tin we find the blend’s description: Reflecting on Sutliffs 175 years of tobacco excellence, we came across a brand that embodies true value, SILVER QUARTER. This name pays homage to Sutliffs roots, the legacy of two brothers who popularized pipe smoking in the burgeoning mining society of San Francisco. We celebrate this heritage with a coin cut composed of the finest African Virginias, complemented by a core of Perique and Black Cavendish. The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. The flavors are muted, also, lacking the sweetness and piquancy of other marques—the small measure of Perique tickles the nose now and again with peppery hints, and there is a smidge of a deeper sweetness to be found in the Cavendish from puff to puff, but overall it lacks some dynamism. The Virginias, to my palate, come off a bit on the dry side, and here they dominate the blend. The aftertaste and mouthfeel are neutral, again evincing more of the dry, woody, tartly tannic end of the spectrum. The blend has plenty of polish, but not enough depth or richness (*yet) to make it a standout. Here, comparisons are inevitable: Luxury Bullseye Flake has more sweetness, both from its Virginia as well as its Cavendish, and a better finish; Davidoff is similar but with a pronounced umami that is absent here; as for Escudo, I haven’t had any fresh tins lately so it would be unfair to compare. 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Bewitched by a dissonant charm, we’ve created Maple Shadows. In a season that is defined by the unlikely harmony of treats and frights, we’ve joined the enchanting sweetness of maple with the earthy spice of Dark Fired Kentucky for a smoking experience that captures the senses with an otherworldly fusion of flavor. This may be the best aromatic blend Sutliff’s ever made—and they make a ton of them. First off, it’s not overbearing in the least—quite the opposite, it is also one of the more restrained aromatics they’ve ever made, with a clear but very light topping that melds oh-so-well with their choice Kentucky added to the mix. Opening the tin, the sweet maple is up front and center, but so too is the must of fallen leaves, bready pie crusts, and a crackling fire in the hearth—a perfect invocation of Herbstdüfte in a can. Packing best in an open and capacious bowl, the flavoring is subtle, and recedes to the background while puffing. With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
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Garret: I’ve been carving since 2021, and I’m guessing your next question is probably how’d you get started carving? James: Yes. Garret: In 2021 I took a break from my full time job – that included machining and assembly work and I thought maybe it was time I made something that I would like and I started looking at youtube and Instagram and putting together my shop. I did struggle on the stems to start and there was a lot of failure at the beginning. James: How many pipes have you made so far? Garret: I number my pipes, so I just finished up 186. James: What is your favorite shape you’ve been making? Garret: I really dig Canadians and pipes with longer shanks and lovat Canadian blends. I like to play with different shapes of stems on the longer shanked pipes. The billiard would be my go-to shape but I want to learn more techniques on freehanded shapes. I like to put brass and copper adornments on my pipes with my machining background it helps. James: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at this show? Garret: The first thing that comes to mind is the table over there with C-Pipes with the shapes and the size and petiteness and the intricate details they did. You can check out what Garret is working on by going to his Instagram. Stefan Cashwell James: how long have you been carving? Stefan: about 3 years. James: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at the show? Stefan: The Adam Davidson pipe with the clear shape and the bamboo—I don’t know if it’s 3D printed or what, but it’s amazing. James: What’s your favorite shape to do? Stefan: That’s a tough question. I think they’re all the same shape, but what’s fascinating is that Dublin, volcano, and blowfish are all the same depending on how you turn them. Playing with that, with all its variations, is a lot of fun. My favorite accent to use is also horn; it’s finicky, but it’s a great accent on pipes. You can check out Stefan’s work on his Instagram. Science: Meet Pipes I chatted with Chris from the San Diego Pipe Club; he started off doing stem replacements for estate pipes but also improved the airflow. James: How are you doing 3d printing? What is the thought process? Chris: It’s a 3D-printed pipe with a briar insert. The design is a calabash meets a Peterson system meets a metal Falcon/Kirsten radiator style. It is a bottom draft smoking bowl like a radiator like those metal pipes. The inside chamber is a calabash. The stummel and accent rings in the stems are all 3d printed. The insert is briar, olive wood, or I have the potential to use meerschaum as well. This idea came about through the San Diego Pipe Club, wanting to see if we could 3D print a pipe and being curious about the technology; I have a printer and design ability, so here we are. James: What’s the type of plastic you’re using? Chris: It’s all PLA plastic, a renewable potato starch plastic that is food-safe. The stummels are printed with a plastic that has wood in it 40% wood fiber, bamboo, rosewood, ebony, redwood, and walnut are the woods I’m printing. For the accent rings I just got a new material that I’m printing that has 40% copper, so its real metal that you can sand, and polish the same as wood filament. The stems are 3d printed as well. The concept is renewable and cheap from a production standpoint, with the ability to make a very high quality smoking pipe based on the experience. By combining the calabash system pipe and bottom draft hole and using 3d simulations to see airflow, I can see where I’m having eddies and ripples in my current, and see where my moisture and all the particles are dropping back out from a vapor to a liquid. Most people who have tried these say the stems are clean, and they don’t even have to run a pipe cleaner afterward because everything collects at the bottom. Chris has also been experimenting with color-changing plastics so you can see the hotspots. Chris said he was able to use this to slow down his cadence, which, of course, could mean you could get a slow-smoke training pipe to teach yourself to perform better. If you’re interested in learning more or want to check one out, you can contact him on Instagram: Copper Beard Pipe Works The Negative Space The show was buzzing about one specific pipe, which had everyone guessing how it was made. I chatted with Adam Davidson briefly about it. James: How did this idea come to fruition? Adam Davidson: Smokingpipes.com had an expo back in August open to all of the makers they carry. The theme was to make a pipe utilizing bamboo. Given that the last time we had the expo I made a smooth Almond with three bamboo shanks, […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 631. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with pipe maker Dan Keller from Good Made Better. Dan is from South Dakota. Growing up working in the family hardware store where he was always finding solutions to fixing things, he ended up always wanting to make things. He now makes elegant handmade pens, pen holders, portable desks, blotters, blotting paper, book carry cases, and of course artisan pipes. At the top of the show we are continuing the virtual tour of Brian’s pipes with his “f#@k you pipes”.
I also would like to vary beverages when smoking, I usually don’t. Coffee, tea, or cool water. I find carbonated sodas cause too much “friction” when smoking.
I did recently have one of the Bunderberg root beers, while good it cannot hold a candle to Blue Sky’s Creamy Root Beer. I especially like the aftertaste, its quite unique.
Good read !
Don’t know if it was the intent, but here’s my personal list:
Softdrinks: Homemade Root Beer, I second the writers choice of blood orange soda. Since it’s harder to find, I often resort to Club Soda with Blood Orange syrup (both Monin and Torani carry a blood orange flavor syrup)
Tea: I make ice tea with a “Peach and Mango white tea” from Lipton. Really tasty with a slice of lime
Liquor: I’m a Bourbon or Scotch guy. Nothing beats a well made Old Fashioned.
But..the most important beverage of all is missing..beer…where is the beer ?? [:crying:] I mean a solid, well made, preferably local, craft beer. In the summer, try a Berliner Weisse, Gose, Sour or a well made Lager. In the winter, pair tobacco with Stouts, Porters or spiced Christmas beers.
Anyways…. carry on..
I’m finding one of my favorite beverages to accompany my pipe smoking is hard cider, preferably dry and not too sweet. Any of the French varieties, but my son is also making his own cider blends and my favorite so far is blackberry/apple!
In the soft drink department — where I don’t shop much — my favorite is Coca Cola imported from Mexico
and made with cane sugar rather then fructose, etc.
Well, Bill, you did it to us again. How would we ever duplicate this outside of NYC?? I can guarantee you that if I went down to the local Megamart I would find exactly one of these beverages.
And Cope’s Escudo with tea? Particularly a foo-foo tea? No, I don’t think so.
On the other hand for those of us who rarely combine alcohol with their pipe smoking it was most refreshing to see an article that says it’s okay to drink something other than well aged spirits.
A very original article.
Great suggestions all! Beer was not part of the list as I was focusing on soft drinks. But there will be a boozy article in the future, never fear.
.
@kcghost–do not despair, dear friend. First, you may be surprised at the availability of some of the beverages listed–try health food stores in your area. Failing that, there’s this little thing called the Interwebs from which you can order anything conceivable and it will show up at your door days later. A site that rhymes with a river in south america comes to mind….
Good Hunting!
PS–Lady Grey tea is so not foo-foo! Besides, the correct phrase is “frou-frou”.
Also, without being glib this time, the article is intended more as an inspiration for the audience to seek out their own interesting (and perhaps hard-to-find) beverages that pair well with pipe smoke, and share them with the rest of us. So if you can’t find a small-batch handmade soda in your neck of the woods, tell us what you *can* find that tickles the taste buds!
If it’s to be a non-alcoholic beverage then it’s unsweetened ice tea or coffee but with cream and sugar.
I prefer my iced tea to be strong and dark, not the weak watered-down version they serve in restaurants. Any water I might drink must be flavored.
Whatever you smoke, The best pairing is coffee, a good and strong coffee.
This is one of my favorite summer drinks.
Sparkling Rosemary Limeade
1 cup lime juice (from about 6 limes) 3/4 cup sugar Peel of 2 limes
Two 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more to serve
4 to 6 cups chilled sparkling water
Stir the lime juice with the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lime peel and the rosemary sprigs. Simmer for another minute, then turn off the heat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Strain out the lime peel and rosemary and mix with the chilled sparkling water in a sealed jar or bottle. Taste and add more water if you want a lighter flavor.
Serve over ice with a small sprig of rosemary muddled into the drink.
Nice article -thank you. I like Rooibos both cold and hot with a pipe. But the Cha Yen Thai sounds great. I often blend regular black tea with the red for a bolder flavor. I don’t like carbonation while I smoke so I limit my choices to basic water, tea or coffee.
Brilliant recipe, steyrshrek. Though I’m not a devout fan of rosemary, let’s say, I tried this and it was actually a remarkable mixture of flavors. Thanks!