Growing up, a cup of tea was synomomous with a case of the sniffles. I forced down the healing potions with a great deal of coaxing and the promise of relief. Well, I've come around to tea time—and it's spots like Tea Bar in Highland, a corner tea and coffee shop attached to the Green Garage and the Mother'hood, that have eased the transition.

One of my gateway drinks is the blended tea soda. This is no iced version of Cold Comfort. Instead, the sip is equal parts sparkling water and Teatulía tea, from the shop's own 2,000-acre tea garden in northern Bangladesh.

Of the eight options, I suggest the #3 Green Tea with peach purée, blackberry syrup, cilantro, and muddled lime. The fruit mellows and sweetens the earthy tea, and the cilantro adds a fresh zing. Though the teas are pre-steeped, the drinks—which are refreshing and energizing—are mixed and finished per order.