•
  • Guided tea and whiskey comparative tasting
  • Lia Niskanen, founder of Barrel Strength Talent
1 5

Whiskey x Tea x Dim Sum

$180.00 USD
$180.00 USD

Whiskey Meets Tea x Dim Sum - A Comparative Tasting that Just Got More Delicious!

  • Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
  • Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
  • Location: MEILI Rooftop — 160 N 12th Street, Rooftop, Brooklyn, New York City
  • Price: $180 per guest
  • Capacity: Limited to 30 guests

Back by popular demand, the fascinating collaboration between Tea Drunk and Barrel Strength Talent returns this Fall, this time on the stunning rooftop bar at MEILI restaurant in Williamsburg.

Tea and whisky have enjoyed a centuries-long romance, both calling upon hundreds of years of skill and tradition. Globally recognized tea master Shunan Teng and renowned whiskey expert Lia Niskanen will highlight the vibrant history and time-honored craftsmanship behind each beverage, in a curated tasting of four terroir-driven teas and regionally diverse whiskeys.

For this unique sensory whiskey and tea pairing, Chef Peter He, one of New York’s most decorated Chinese chefs, is crafting a dim sum menu designed to play with the smoke, spice, and sweetness of paired pours: a one-night-only conversation between the grain, the leaf, and the wok.

Join us for a fun, in-depth, and palate-expanding evening where you’ll sip, savor, and connect with fellow enthusiasts out of doors on a beautiful Fall night in New York City. Don’t miss out — secure your spot today!

About Whiskey x Tea x Dim Sum

“I strongly recommend the Tea x Whiskey comparative tasting hosted by Lia Niskanen of Barrel Strength Talent and Shunan Teng of Tea Drunk. The drink pairings were something different I hadn’t tried before, the hosts were extremely knowledgeable (I took so many notes!), and the small group setting encouraged questions and interaction. A fun and informative way to spend an evening.”
– Kara Newman, drinks writer and cocktail book author

About Lia Niskanen & Barrel Strength Talent
Founder of the Brooklyn-based whiskey events business Barrel Strength Talent, Lia is a whiskey educator, speaker, and passionate advocate for whiskey makers across the globe. Her background in developing distillery tours and bespoke events around storytelling brings a uniquely engaging voice to the world of whiskey. She holds an advanced degree in single malt whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy in Scotland, for whom she is an approved course provider, and is a consultant to the acclaimed spirits branding firm Contagious UK. Lia believes that understanding whiskey is not just about learning the facts—it’s about appreciating the narrative of flavor, the nuance of craft, and the joy of sharing it with others.

About Shunan Teng & Tea Drunk
Shunan is the founder and tea educator behind Tea Drunk, the authority on historically authentic Chinese teas. She is known for her relentless in-the-field pursuit of tea knowledge and her work in preserving Chinese tea traditions, and has been featured in publications from the New York Times to Vogue. With over a decade of field research in China’s famed tea mountains, Shunan brings a rare combination of academic rigor and sensory storytelling to her work—inviting tea lovers to drink with greater awareness and joy. Shunan is also the educator for the TED-Ed lesson, The History of Tea.

About MEILI & Chef Peter He
MEILI Williamsburg is a modern Sichuan restaurant and seasonal rooftop bar tucked inside the Coda Williamsburg Hotel, where bold flavor meets refined technique. At its helm is Chef Peter He — for seven consecutive years, the only Chinese chef in New York City to hold a Michelin star, earned at the celebrated Cafe China. At MEILI he brings that same rigor to a new chapter: the slow burn of chili oil, the floral tingle of peppercorns, and the depth of fire-kissed dishes, all reimagined for Williamsburg.

This is a ticket to an in-person experience. Nothing will be shipped.