The hotel will not be offering Afternoon Tea or "Tea with a Twist" in July. They will resume on August 1, 2008

Full tea ($35 per person)

• Assorted Finger Sandwiches
• Classic egg salad with chive
• Smoked salmon tarter “vol au vent”
• Cucumber with chive scented cream cheese
• Black currant tea smoked chicken salad gougère
• Goat cheese and mascarpone mousse with fig and caramel
• Freshly baked scones - served with lemon curd, Devonshire cream, and fruit preserves
• Assorted French Pastries
• Fresh fruit tartlet
• Raspberry mousse chiffon cake
• Chocolate and lavender cream roulade
• Scottish shortbread
• Strawberry and passion fruit royale
• Tea-infused English tea cakes

Royal Tea ($45 per person)

In addition to the full tea menu, Royal Tea includes unlimited “bubbly.”

*This is a sample menu. Prices and offerings may change seasonally.

Black Teas

• Afternoon Darjeeling - Elegant blend of teas from gardens in Darjeeling and Sri Lanka with a characteristic grapey muscatel flavor and light rosy color
• English Breakfast - Historic researchers trace its heritage back to the teas that the English drank regularly in the 1800’s. A rich and robust Chinese Black Tea which takes well to milk.
• Earl Grey - The most famous of the flavored teas, Earl Grey is a blend of Chinese black tea with the natural oil of Bergamot. Also available in decaffeinated
• Golden Halo - A certified organic black tea from Yunnan, China, with a bright red and amber infusion, robust character and malty sweet finish.
• Passion Fruit - Bold tropical flavors and bits of dried passion fruit make for an enchanting afternoon treat.
• Rose-Scented - A variety of black teas delicately scented with roses and sprinkled with rose buds

Green Teas

• Jasmine Blossoms - This organically grown green tea absorbs the natural essence from fresh jasmine blossoms and imparts a sweet and soothing flavor in every cup.
• Lemon Myrtle Green - A blend of wild flower scented green teas from China and lemon myrtle from Australia offer an infusion with a fresh lemon-lime notes and a floral bouquet.

Seasonal Signature Blends

• Spring - Chrysanthemum Blossom Oolong - A Taiwan oolong with the essential oil of bergamot and organically grown chrysanthemum blossoms has natural cooling and detoxifying properties that make it the perfect beverage for an afternoon tea in the garden in Phoenix.
• Summer - Provence - Intended to induce visions of Provence and the south of France, this tisane is a blend of blueberries, organic schizandra berries, rose hips, hibiscus, and lavender layered gently with natural rose and plum flavor.
• Autumn - White Tea Peach- The Autumn Blend has an intrinsic way of warming both the mind and body. It is a mild white tea that has been aromatized gently with jasmine blossoms and then flavored with the natural flavor of peach.
• Winter – Yuletide - This Chinese black tea, referred to as Golden Halo, is blended with cinnamon, vanilla and whole cranberries. The flavors are gently layered onto the tea in a way that is not too sweet or too spicy.

*This is a sample list of teas and may change seasonally.

Tea with a Twist

Where tea time meets happy hour…Tea with a Twist gives a contemporary flare to the traditional afternoon tea. The classic finger sandwiches that will be replaced with tapas-style hors d’oeuvres including such creations as a mille-feuille pastry twist with salmon tartar or a cucumber twirl with vanilla scented Dungeness crab salad. Scones and desserts are still served as well, but all designed with a bit of a twist.

The renowned Nicole Pesce also warms up the room with contemporary acoustics while the voice of Jeffrey Hattrick takes center stage. With dimmed chandeliers and candlelight, the ambiance of the Ritz-Carlton Lobby Lounge takes on an entirely new life after sunset. It is definitely the place to see and be seen at the hottest corner in Phoenix. Tea with a Twist is served Thursday and Friday at 5:00 p.m. and is $35 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Reservations are required and may be made through dining reservations at 602-468-0700.

The hotel will not be offering Afternoon Tea or Tea with a Twist during July; they will resume on August 1, 2008.

Menu

• Salmon tartare with avocado and caviar wrapped in white sushi rice
• Dungeness crab salad in a cucumber bowl with a cucumber twist
• Seared Saku tuna on a spoon of twisted Soba noodles
• Beet and carrot-ribbon salad twisted on a toasted baguette
• Red curry chicken salad in a savory tartlet garnished with a scallion twist.
• Cherry scone twist dunked in Devonshire cream
• New York style cheesecake pyramid with chocolate twist
• Honey mouse on an apricot linzer cookie with a candied violet
• Chocolate mousse Napoleon
• Inverted lemon meringue tart topped with toasted rice
• Hot Tea or a tea-infused vodka tea-tini

*This is a sample menu and may change seasonally.

Tea-tini Selection

• Spring Garden - Kettle One Citroen Vodka infused with Chrysanthemum Blossom Oolong Tea, Tuaca Liqueur, with fresh squeezed lemon juice.
• Summer Provence - Kettle One Vodka infused with a summer berry tisane (blackcurrant, blueberry, tart plum, rosehips, hibiscus, and lavender), shaken with peach liqueur, Chambord, and red wine and finally floated over a splash of champagne…wow!!
• Autumn Leaves - White Tea Peach infused Kettle One Vodka, Lichido (guava, peach and litchi flavored cognac), and Orange Juice. This soft and sweet drink is a favorite with the Tea-with-a-twist regulars.
• Winter Yuletide - Kettle One Vodka infused with a holiday tea (black tea, cinnamon, vanilla and cranberry), shaken with a Navan vanilla Cognac and cranberry juice…perfect for wrapping yourself in the holiday sprit at any time of the year.

Tea Sommelier - Jeffrey Hattrick

As resident tea sommelier at The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, Jeffrey has used his creativity to develop a line of tea-infused vodkas which have been turned into the line of tea-tinis now served at Tea with a Twist. Jeffrey’s expects that this more modern side of tea will make the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea attractive to a new group of individuals and at the same time, will give the seasoned tea-goer another option to tea time. “With a new look, taste, and sound of tea time, I am sure you will not be disappointed.”