Parties, Favored

The Tea Tasting

The Park Plaza’s setup suits a crowd.

Sweets pair perfectly with afternoon tea service; Photograph courtesy of Getty Images.

Quit rolling your eyes—this isn’t your grandmother’s tea party. The new version of the afternoon gathering is decidedly less stuffy and offers wedding parties a healthy chance to relax. Indeed, teatime has re-emerged as a modern-day social hour; just ask Park Plaza Hotel tea sommelier Cynthia Gold, who regularly coordinates shower teas. Her events take place at the hotel’s Swan’s Café or in a banquet space, where she guides guests from leaf to cup, identifying varieties, pointing out aromatic notes, and describing proper brewing methods. Typically the bride’s tea education level determines the party, notes Gold. Beginners might ease in with mild green varieties, while aficionados appreciate more robust Chinese blends. The extra-adventurous set might sample tea-infused ports and cocktails. Guests can also snack on finger foods like tea-cured salmon, tea-rubbed pork, and scones with clotted cream—no bland cucumber sandwiches in sight.

BUDGET OPTION

Dainty cup-and-saucer sets make great favors; Photograph by Ray Kachatorian.

Throw a tasting at home. Both Tealuxe and Teavana stock dozens of varieties. Buy four to six teas (ranging from light to dark) and get friends to help by whipping up dishes from Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea Parties for Every Occasion, by local writer Christie Matheson. Send everyone off with decorative mugs filled with loose-leaf teas.

Starting at $30 per person, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, 617-426-2000, bostonparkplaza.com; Tealuxe, 108 Newbury St., Boston, 617-927-0400, tealuxe.com; Teavana, Prudential Center, Boston, 617-262-8327; teavana.com.

Go on to the next page to read about the wine tasting…