Tea-totaller means a drunk?

Toklai Experimental Station (TES) in Assam’s Jorhat, the world's oldest and biggest tea research institute and a part of Tea Research Association (TRA) of India, is all set to display its tea wine and tea vodka to foreign delegates during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Those visiting Delhi for the Commonwealth Games may get an opportunity to get drunk on tea.

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Toklai Experimental Station (TES) in Assam’s Jorhat, the world's oldest and biggest tea research institute and a part of Tea Research Association (TRA) of India, is all set to display its tea wine and tea vodka to foreign delegates during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The products will, however, be marketed in June next year.

Mridul Hazarika, director of TES, said: “We are planning to display the drinks during the Commonwealth Games, which will be attended by lakhs of foreign delegates. It will be a good opportunity to get feedback and also help us make the drinks successful in the global market."

Lalit Bhanot, spokesman of Commonwealth Games organizing committee, however, said he was still waiting to get a proposal from TES.

What is tea wine?

Some years ago, Japan made its own version of tea wine, which was actually wine mixed with tea.

“But in our case, we ferment tea to produce wine. It will have more anti-oxidants than normal wine,” said a senior TES official.

Tea vodka is made by mixing fermented tea with vodka.

Magandeep Singh, a sommelier said: “I can’t quite imagine what the taste of tea wine would be like but it certainly would be interesting to try.”

Wine expert Bhaichand Patel however was not ready to accept the drink as wine. “Grapes are the only base of wine.”