Wenzhuo Liu
Nicole Klauß grew up immersed in both German and Japanese tea cultures. Starting in 2017, she published two books on non-alcoholic beverages: The New Beverage Culture and Alcohol-Free, which introduce a variety of tea-based drinks. Nicole hopes that both everyday consumers and professional culinary practitioners in Germany and Europe will pay more attention to non-alcoholic beverages. In the 1990s, Nicole has briefly worked and traveled in China, where tea and tea culture left a deep impression on her. Although Chinese tea and tea culture are still relatively niche in Germany, there is room for development—matcha culture, for instance, has grown quite well in recent years.
However, due to her alcohol intolerance and pregnancy, Nicole began focusing on non-alcoholic beverages and conducting research in this field.
Nicole was raised in the East Frisian tea culture of her grandmother. In her memories, there was always a pot of hot tea at home, no matter the time. Since moving from Hanover to Berlin, she has preserved the German afternoon tea tradition in her own family, where relatives often gather to chat and drink tea together. As a teenager, Nicole began exploring her Japanese roots. Not only did she work at a Japanese tea house in Hanover for two years, but she also frequently visited Japan to experience the local culture. Nicole studied art, journalism, and French literature in Hannover and Berlin, Germany, and Lyon, France, before dedicating a decade to the art consulting industry. Due to the demands of managing dinners at work, she underwent sommelier training. However, due to her alcohol intolerance and pregnancy, she began focusing on non-alcoholic beverages and conducting research in this field. Invited by Westend Verlag, Nicole published her first book in 2017: The New Beverage Culture—Perfect Dining Without Alcohol. The book introduces a variety of drinks, provides readers with background information, and offers food pairing recommendations. Nicole aims to engage with readers who wish to delve deeper into the subject, encouraging them to try making the drinks at home or to bring this knowledge with them to restaurants.
Tea drinks are no longer exclusive pairings for cakes, and loose-leaf tea and kombucha can also be perfectly presented in various meals.
In 2023, Nicole collaborated with AT Publishing to publish her second book, Alcohol-Free, priced at 36 euros. It is mainly aimed at professional readers such as sommeliers, foodies, and bartenders in the catering industry, providing them with professional advice on non-alcoholic beverages. The book introduces and explains non-alcoholic beverages, their preparation and taste characteristics, as well as which dishes they are suitable for pairing with. Tea drinks are no longer exclusive pairings for cakes, and loose-leaf tea and kombucha can also be perfectly presented in various meals. As a German-language culinary writer, Nicole also contributes articles to German culinary magazines, such as writing columns for a Swiss magazine. She is invited to various events and provides training and instruction on non-alcoholic beverages for culinary professionals.
Nicole appreciates Chinese roasted green tea and starts her day with green tea from Guangxi in the morning, often paired with food to drink.
Japanese tea culture is more well-known to Europeans, and in recent years, matcha has become even more popular in the European market. However, Nicole is skeptical about Western style matcha latte with milk and sugar added. German Matcha Magazine once invited Nicole, she wrote an article about Hojicha latte. Der Feinschmecker- Gourmet is one of the influential magazines in the culinary world of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, publishing Nicole’s research and reports on Japanese tea ceremony. The German public mainly drinks herbal and blended tea, and of course, they also taste different types of tea, but most choose tea bags that resist the quality of tea. Nicole believes that Chinese tea and traditional drinking methods belong to a niche market in Europe, and only a few tea lovers would know. For example, Nicole appreciates Chinese roasted green tea and starts her day with green tea from Guangxi in the morning, often paired with food to drink.
Unlike the precise tea-to-water ratios common in German tea brewing, Nicole observed that Hong Kongers approach tea more casually and freely—simply placing some tea leaves in a cup, adding hot water, and enjoying it, with tea available almost everywhere.
In the 1990s, Nicole worked for six weeks at a tea plantation in Hangzhou, helping local tea farmers pick fresh tea leaves. She also spent half a year working as a free lance art consultant in Hong Kong, where the local tea culture left a strong impression on her. Unlike the precise tea-to-water ratios common in German tea brewing, Nicole observed that Hong Kongers approach tea more casually and freely—simply placing some tea leaves in a cup, adding hot water, and enjoying it, with tea available almost everywhere. To this day, Nicole has met many Chinese tea enthusiasts and summarizes their characteristics with three words: open and inclusive, calm. Whether it’s tea bags or Gongfu tea, Chinese tea lovers are happy to embrace it all.