This Rainbow Tea Is Magic In A Cup

This is 2016. It's a new era. Food can't just be edible anymore. It has to be Instagram-worthy. And the latest picture-perfect beverage to grace our presence comes out of a tea shop in Los Angeles, California. Pearl's Finest Teas is sweeping the internet thanks to its Orange Yuzu rainbow tea drink, and seriously, who cares how it tastes because LOOK AT IT. The hibiscus tea is layered in shades of blue, purple, and yellow. We don't know exactly how it's made, because founder Phong Trinh is being sneaky sneaky about the ingredients; but we did learn that the drink was discovered by mistake. (Best mistake ever.) The drink is all natural and has a citrusy, lemonade-y, zesty taste, which is mainly irrelevant because we all know that nothing matters more than looks anyway.

The only insight Trinh has given into his magical concoction is butterfly pea, which is a type of vibrant indigo flower that has been growing in Burma and Thailand for thousands of years. PopSugar watched Trinh in action while he prepared the drink, reporting that he started with two orange liquids (possibly orange syrup and orange juice), and then added yuzu (syrupy and marmalade-like in consistency).

This went into an empty cup with ice. Then, he mixed hibiscus tea with butterfly pea and poured it on top of the orange mixture. Ta-da! The magical rainbow drink. I almost wouldn't want to drink this for fear of disturbing the delicate balance of colors. This certainly puts my boring Earl Grey tea to shame. My life has no meaning.

Pearl's Finest Teas serves a bunch of creative drinks, including Horchata Milk Tea and something called the L.A. Dirt. (Not sure about that one, people.) They also offer a menu of coffee drinks, with beverages like Thai Iced Coffee and and Sea Salt Black Coffee. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth making an extra stop!

Image: Aaron Li/Instagram