I love coffee, I love tea.

When it comes to coffee and tea, the name of the game is flavor.

Club members are drinking gallons of rich coffee roasts, washing down gallons of flavored or garnished ice tea blends, and enjoying a wide variety of sophisticated flavors at high tea.

The big trend is no big surprise. High-end establishments--and their guests--want quality. When it comes to coffee, the average guy on the street knows a lot more than he did 10 years ago--and you can thank Starbucks and it competitors for that.

"People are much more educated and they are turning toward more flavorful, more aromatic types," said Chuck Coffman, owner of Armeno Coffee Roasters. "People are looking more at the actual taste and flavor."

And that means clubs have to get smart, too. "The more educated the consumers become, the more they go for the high end [selections]," Coffman said.

High-end establishments are also taking another look at the way they heat and serve their brews. On the way out: the old glass carafe and burner system. And if you've ever tasted coffee that's been on the burner for a few hours, you wouldn't have to ask why.

Suited to a Tea

"There are lots of trends in iced tea," says Scott Svihula, Southwest regional manager for FETCO, maker of hot and cold beverage equipment. "It's like coffee was 10 years ago."

And the revenues tell the story. "The tea industry has gone from a $2 billion industry to a $5 billion industry over the last 10 to 11 years," said George Jage, president, Take Me 2 Tea Expo, an annual trade show.

Big on the club scene: Iced tea both plain and with fruit flavors. For kids: a variety of caffeine free herbal teas in fun flavors and "bubble tea"--iced tea with tapioca in it.

When it comes to hot tea, drinkers are getting more adventurous--and more health conscious.

Mighty Leaf presents their premium teas in a leather selection case that includes information on each variety, including its caffeine level.

"The trend is definitely toward quality--and in the world of tea that means full-leaf tea, as opposed to tea bags." says Gary Shinner, CEO of Mighty Leaf Tea, a manufacturer and blender of premium tea. Also big: organic teas. "It's becoming something people are more conscious of."

Tea is one of those products--like coffee or wine--that can be elevated to a cultural experience. "Part of our mission is telling the story of the product," said Shinner. "Staff members need to pass on that sort of color and information to the guests. It's a multi-sensory experience. Where does it come from? What are the roads it goes down to get from there to here? It's touch, feel, look, and aroma."

Some hot trends:

Estate-grown tea: Like wine from a particular vineyard, estate-grown teas similarly cultivate certain characteristics and flavors, said Jage. Look for varieties from Ceylon, India, and Nepal.

White tea: "it's the freshest and least processed tea available," Jage said. "It has an amazingly delicate and fantastic flavor." The most common variety is Silver needle.

Green tea: Popular hot or iced, it now comes in a wide array of flavors. While it's not caffeine-free, it has less than black tea and researchers are constantly discovering "new" health benefits.

Red tea: Not really a tea, but an African plant called rooibos. Can be served hot or iced. Said to contain many times the dosage of antioxidants found in regular teas. "As far as it's health properties," Jage said, "it packs a healthy punch."

Lemon myrtle: Again, not a real tea from the tea plant, but a naturally decaffeinated herbal tea, said Jage. Like Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, this Aussie import is becoming very popular on the American scene, according to tea gurus.

Iced teas in a flavor-of-the-day or month: Iced teas are easy to increase sales with," said Marci Hendrickson, executive vice president, The China Mist Tea Company & Leaves Pure Teas, manufacturers and packagers of specialty tea products. "People are looking for an alternative to soda. And [with herbal tea] kids can drink it, too."

Several clubs report serving their iced teas--especially flavored iced teas--in wine glasses or brandy snifters with a generous fruit garnish.

And Canyon Gate Country Club in Las Vegas created its own twist on iced tea with lemon when it created the "Arnold Palmer. "The specialty drink--which sells for $2, the same as regular iced tea--is 70 percent iced tea, 30 percent lemonade, and 100 percent popular with the guests.

Java Jive

When it comes to coffee, look for clubs to experiment with darker, more flavorful varieties.

"Folks like Starbucks have done a wonderful job for people in our industry because they've heightened the awareness and education," said Ed Holloran, vice president of business development for FilterFresh Coffee Services Inc., a fully integrated coffee service.

Several clubs are hedging their bets, serving smoother, lighter blends in the grill, while pouring richer, darker roasts in the fine dining room.

Houston's River Oaks Country Club is one establishment that does exactly that. The coffee is ground "seconds before it's brewed," said Charles M. Carroll, CEC, executive chef.

In the formal dining room, the blend "has a little bit of an aggressive flavor," said Carroll, a Starbucks fan. "It's more like what you'd find in a fine dining restaurant."

And that's a common solution to please a divergent membership. In a country club environment, "you have members who have been there for quite a long time," Holloran said. They may have one set of expectations, while newer members--who came of age in the coffee-house era--have quite another.

And don't neglect the regional tastes, Holloran advised. Typically, lighter roasts are more popular in the Southeast, while the Northeast prefers a stronger brew, he said.

"[But] at the end of the day, we're seeing a strong movement toward darker coffee," Holloran said. "In the last five years, it's gone from milder, medium coffee to a much darker coffee. French roast is very popular."

At Pittsburgh's Duquesne Club, food and beverage manager Keith Van Yahres started offering coffee served tableside in a French press earlier this year. "For $5, it makes two cups," Van Yahres said. "It's a nice presentation."

Even more important, it results in a great flavor, he said. "But it's been more of a challenge to meet everyone's tastes on that. They say it's the best way to make coffee--it's not as bitter as other processes. But it does have some residue left over."

What About the Bottom Line?

With premium coffee--just like premium tea--the price will vary depending on the ingredients and source.

Good coffee is costing clubs about "$5.50 a pound" on average, said Coffman. And a plain cup of joe can fetch from $1 and change upward.

Mighty Leaf's by-the-pot serving retails in clubs for $5 to $10, and yields two to three cups.

But even premium coffees and teas generate a healthy profit margin. "It's well above 90 percent," Shinner said. "It's better than alcohol."

What's a Club to Do?

"One thing country clubs have the opportunity to do is capitalize on serving premium bottled iced teas by the pool and having a nice selection of tea in the dining room," said Jage.

Since the club is all about relieving stress, it's a great place to bring in experts to talk about the benefits of tea--especially when it comes to providing anti-oxidants and lowering cholesterol, Jage said. "Tea is just part of a healthy diet."

Interested in expanding your tea program? Try offering a few selections of several different types of tea. "A couple of black teas, green teas, and herbal teas. And there are some beautiful white teas out there that are reasonable," Hendrickson said.

Afternoon tea--especially a formal high tea--is a good option for clubs. "Clubs need to be looking specifically at the tea experience," Hendrickson said. "High tea at the Ritz-Carlton is an experience. Why? Because you build something around it."

And it's not difficult to encourage members to try new coffees, explained Holloran. "It's a very simple thing to manage a coffee tasting."

In addition, clubs can add flavored coffees to the menu or feature a coffee-of-the-month, he said. "There are lots of fun things they can do in that environment."

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.

RELATED ARTICLE: Party time!

Got an empty dining room in the early afternoon? Throw a tea party.

Several clubs are experimenting with high teas and bridal teas--and find it's an easy and popular function.

At Pittsburgh's Duquesne Club, members pay $17 to enjoy high tea, which is offered every Friday from Thanksgiving through Christmas. "We serve loose teas in the very traditional way," said Food and Beverage Director Keith Van Yahres, who's thinking of expanding the program to once a month, year-round. "We've been doing this for two years," he said. "Last year we sold out."

At Canyon Gate Country Club in Las Vegas, Executive Chef William Pfersching offers three distinct tea experiences on his special events menu: high tea, bridal tea, and kids' tea parties.

High tea "is a very elegant English butler-style service," said Pfersching. The bridal tea is very similar in style, but can be customized with the shower colors or specialized centerpieces. Both run $41.50 per person and include a variety of teas, tea sandwiches, marmalade and scones, petit fours, and pastries.

The kids tea--which costs $19 per child--includes more kid-friendly options, like flavored teas, PBJs, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.

Pfersching started offering the catering option three years ago and is now staging "just under one a month," he said.

But the right equipment--and access to enough of it--is critical, he warned. "You need to offer petit tea cups and proper tea spoons and presentation. It's like a ceremonial event."

If your club hasn't offered a tea party or high tea, shame on you, said Faith Taylor, vice president of exhibitor relations for the Take Me 2 Tea Expo, a newly minted annual tea trade show.

"You have a club that sits there from two to four in the afternoon, [usually] with the most beautiful views in the city," she said. "It's a sin if they don't do afternoon tea."

What's Hot in Coffee & Tea?

When it comes to hot beverages, there are more flavor choices than Baskin-Robbins. So what are the most popular types? Here's a rundown from club managers, chefs, food and beverage directors, and coffee and tea industry representatives:

* Chuck Coffman, owner, Armeno Coffee Roasters: Sumatran, Kenya AA, and Costa Rica La Minita.

* Keith Van Yahres, food and beverage director for the Duquesne Club (Pittsburgh): Earl Grey, Chamomile, and Sencha (green tea.)

* William Pfersching, executive chef, Canyon Gate Country Club (Las Vegas): Orange pekoe and pekoe cut black (mix); decaf orange pekoe.

* Scott Svihula, southwest regional manager for FETCO, makers of hot and cold beverage equipment: Bubble tea--iced tea with tapioca. "L.A. is where you're seeing it."

* Gary Shinner, CEO, Mighty Leaf Tea, manufacturers and blenders of premium teas: Green teas and tropical flavored teas. "Generally speaking, I can say the demand is going beyond the usually more pedestrian Earl Grey or herbal."

* Dean McKinney, assistant manager, Bel-Air Country Club: MJB 100 percent Arabica; MJB 100 percent Arabica decaf.