Teh tarik (literally "pulled tea") is a Malaysian institution: strong Ceylon-style black tea brewed long, mixed with condensed and evaporated milk, then "pulled" from one cup to another to aerate it. The pull is theatre. The taste is malty, sweet, slightly burnt, with a tea spine running through the whole thing. Reduce that mixture down into a syrup and you have a cocktail sweetener that does for an Old Fashioned what gula melaka does, but darker and creamier, with a tannin edge that keeps it from cloying.

Ingredients

  • 60ml bourbon (a high-rye holds up best; blended Scotch also works)
  • 15ml teh tarik reduction (recipe below)
  • 2 dashes aromatic bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • Expressed orange peel to garnish

For the teh tarik reduction

Brew 30g of strong Ceylon or Boh tea in 500ml of water for 5 minutes, very strong. Strain. Return to the pan with 200g caster sugar and 100ml sweetened condensed milk. Reduce on low heat until the liquid is the consistency of single cream and the volume is around 350ml. Cool. Keeps a week refrigerated. A small bottle gives you maybe 25 cocktails.

Method

  1. Combine bourbon, teh tarik reduction, and both bitters in a mixing glass.
  2. Add ice and stir for 25 to 30 seconds, until the glass is cold to the touch.
  3. Strain over a single large rock in a chilled rocks glass.
  4. Express an orange peel over the surface, then drop it in.

Why a reduction, not a syrup

If you make a teh tarik "syrup" by just shaking strong tea, sugar, and a teaspoon of condensed milk into a bottle, you get something dilute and short-lived in the glass. Reducing the mixture down concentrates the tannins, the malted sugars from the condensed milk Maillard reaction, and the tea polyphenols. The result is more like a tea-based caramel than a syrup. It carries through the dilution of a stir and still tastes like teh tarik in the finished cocktail.

Why bourbon

Bourbon's vanilla, caramel, and corn-sweetness sit naturally with the condensed-milk core of teh tarik. Rye whiskey is sharper and pushes the drink towards a spiced chai feeling, which is also good. Blended Scotch gives a softer, more nostalgic version (closer to teh tarik with a touch of smoke). Avoid heavy peated whiskies; the iodine fights the milk.

Variations

Teh Tarik Boulevardier: 30ml bourbon, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth, 10ml teh tarik reduction. Bitter, sweet, malted, dark.

Teh Tarik Highball: 45ml whisky, 15ml teh tarik reduction, top with cold soda. Tall, milky-tea, refreshing.

Related

Frequently asked questions

What glass is the Teh Tarik Old Fashioned served in?

A chilled rocks glass over a single large ice cube. The bourbon, teh tarik reduction, and both bitters are stirred in a mixing glass over ice for 25 to 30 seconds, then strained over the rock. An expressed orange peel goes on top. The single large cube melts slow, so the teh tarik character holds through the full drink instead of getting watered out.

Can I substitute the teh tarik reduction in a Teh Tarik Old Fashioned?

The reduction is the entire identity of the drink and there is no real shortcut. Make it from strong Ceylon or Boh tea (30g brewed in 500ml water, 5 minutes), then reduce with 200g caster sugar and 100ml sweetened condensed milk on low heat to single-cream consistency. A teh tarik syrup (without the reduction) tastes thin and dilute in the glass. For the whiskey, bourbon's vanilla-and-corn pairs with condensed milk best; rye pushes it spiced-chai; blended Scotch gives a smokier nostalgic version. Avoid heavy peated whiskies.

How strong is the Teh Tarik Old Fashioned?

Around 32 to 36 percent ABV in the finished drink. The build is 60ml bourbon (around 40 to 45 percent) against 15ml teh tarik reduction and bitters dashes, stirred over ice with a single large cube. The reduction is non-alcoholic and contributes only sweetness and body. Drinks like a softened Old Fashioned with a tea spine; slow-sipping pour designed for half-hour drinking.

Where can I order a Teh Tarik Old Fashioned in PJ or KL?

At Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, 43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Petaling Jaya. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 15:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607. Also at Soluble Solids in SS2, 50-1 Jalan SS2/24. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 18:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651. The teh tarik reduction is made fresh every week. This is one of our Malaysian-local pours.

What food pairs with the Teh Tarik Old Fashioned?

Mamak food, naturally. Roti canai, murtabak, mee mamak, satay, nasi kandar. The reduction mirrors the actual teh tarik served alongside these dishes; the drink reads as a sit-down evening version. Also strong with kuih and Malaysian desserts (kuih lapis, kaya toast, sago gula melaka). Pairs well with rich braised meat (rendang, beef rendang, slow-cooked oxtail). Skip with raw seafood.