Cool tea drinks at Chandler's Urban Tea Loft

In my new mission to pursue healthier cocktailing options (which I expect will fade away next week sometime), I discovered a cool new reason to go to Chandler.

Yes, Chandler.

At the Urban Tea Loft, owners Glynis and Eric Legrand have developed a menu of (theoretically) good-for-you tea-tinis served in oversize martini glasses in a trendy, contemporary setting. In historic downtown Chandler, this intimate tea lounge and restaurant has a full bar, serves elegant entrees, and offers 11 drinks made with either tea or tea-flavored vodkas.

The chatty Glynis is often around and takes her mission of pairing people with the perfect teas seriously, asking after her guests and making sure that everyone has what they need, even if she's got a server there to do the same thing. A student of the Specialty Tea Institute, on her way to becoming a certified kind of tea sommelier, she's filled with recommendations for the right tea at the right time for the right reasons.

I recommend the Chai Tea-tini, which is rich, spicy and surprisingly strong, made with Voyant Chai Liquor, amaretto and Baileys Irish Cream. It's the right tea at any time and I think the fact that I'm breathing is a good enough reason for such an indulgent, tasty drink. And I also love the Metropolitan Tea-tini, made with Grey Goose vodka, Grand Marnier and raspberry tea. They're $7.50 each.

The Loft also hosts a fantastic happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, with $4 tea-tinis and house wines, $2.50 beers and $2 off all appetizers.

As the drinks are stronger than you could guess, it's good to know that the food menu includes all kinds of sandwiches, soups, pastries, salads and a rotating selection of entrees. And high teas can be had at any time, with selections ranging from a children's tea to a protein sandwich tea to a cheese plate, whatever kind of high tea suits your personality.

Also good to know, the space has two private rooms available for rental, one a little party space with metallic quilted walls and a sweet stereo system and the other, a generous meeting room with all the latest presentation technology.

Urban Tea Loft: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. Open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. 11 W. Boston Street, Chandler, 480-786-9600, urbantealoft.com.