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arnold palmer

Tea Recipes

5 Refreshing Iced Tea Recipes for Summer

July 2, 2021

Nothing is better than a tall glass of iced tea to kick off your summer days. Whether you are drinking it for the refreshing, cool taste on a summer afternoon, or you need the caffeine and want something lighter than a latte; iced tea has the answer to all of your summer needs.

We sifted through and found 5 refreshing iced tea recipes for you to try out this Summer.

Summertime Orange Tango Tea

First on our list is the Summertime Orange Tango Tea. This tangy summer tea will leave you begging for more! Drink it as it is or add tequila for a delightful summer cocktail.

What you’ll need:

  • Water
  • Black Iced Tea Bags (Try our Assam Black Tea for a basic black tea!)
  • Sugar
  • Orange Juice Concentrate
  • Lemonade Concentrate
  • Tequila (optional)
  • Fresh lemon slices and mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring your water to a boil, turn off the heat, and add your tea bags. Allow this to steep for 3-5minutes, then remove the tea bags.

2. Stir in the sugar, orange juice concentrate, lemonade, and add more water!

3. Refrigerate until chilled.

4. Add tequila (if desired) and garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves(optional).

Blackberry Mint Iced Tea

Our next summer favorite is the Blackberry Mint Iced Tea. This combination of a sweet berry with refreshing mint makes for the perfect drink on a Hot Summer Day! Kick back and relax with this iced tea while getting your daily dose of antioxidants. 

What you’ll need:

  • ½ cup of Fresh Blackberries
  • 6 leaves of Fresh Mint
  • 1 bags of Green Iced Tea (Try our Young Hyson Green Tea for a delicately sweet green tea)
  • 3 cups of Hot Water
  • Raw Honey (optional)

Directions:

  1. Start with adding fresh blackberries, fresh mint leaves, and tea bags to your container.
  2. Second, pour hot water over the ingredients. Allow this to steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Finally, you will remove the tea bags from the mixture and place your container in the fridge. Allow it to chill for 3-4 hours to get the maximum amount of flavor! 

Homemade Southern Sweet Tea

Next on our list is famous in the South and is perfect for any BBQ… Homemade Southern Sweet Tea (and NOT the kind you try at McDonalds). Nothing beats the sweet, smooth, and tasty tang of Southern Sweet Tea! It’s important to remember that you should be using tea that is specially made to make iced tea, NOT any old bag of tea in your pantry.

Another key tip for making the best Southern Sweet Tea is to brew It yourself! Your tea should steep for 15 minutes while brewing.

What you’ll need:

  • Water and Tea Bags for Brewing (We recommend our Assam Black Tea for this iced tea!)
  • Sugar
  • Ice
  • Baking Soda (optional)

Directions:

  1. The first step is to boil 1 quart of water over medium heat
  2. Next you will turn the heat off and place your tea bags into the water. Allow this to steep for 15minutes.
  3. Remove the tea bags and press them against the side of the saucepan to get the maximum amount of tea out of them as possible!
  4. Afterwards, pour your sugar into the pitcher and pour half of the amount of tea over the sugar.
  5. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
  6. Add the remaining tea.
  7. Finally, stir in baking soda. This step is optional but, is recommended to leave your tea in top condition if you are planning to keep it in your fridge for a while! You are free to either serve it right away or refrigerate and wait for it to cool down.

Matcha Mint Iced Refresher

Our fourth iced tea is the Matcha Mint Iced Refresher! This drink is refreshingly simple to make and perfect for summer sipping. Matcha is known for being high in antioxidants and boosting your energy levels and metabolism, so why not add it to your Summer list?

What you’ll need:

  • Water
  • Cooking Grade Matcha
  • Fresh Lime
  • Fresh Mint Leaves
  • Ice
  • Agave (or your favorite sweetener as an optional addition)

Directions:

  • First you will need a container to shake the mixture in. We recommend using a cocktail shaker, but any container with a trusty lid can work too!
  • Add your ice to the container and squeeze the lime over the ice.
  • Mix in your water and matcha, and be sure to mix until there are no more lumps of your matcha powder.
  • Add in your mint leaves and continue to shake the mixture in your container!
  • The last optional step is to add your agave or other sweetener and you are ready to serve!

The Arnold Palmer

Last, but definitely not least, the Arnold Palmer. This legendary drink combines iced tea and lemonade for a delightfully sweet taste. The Arnold Palmer was created one hot summer day in 1960 when Arnold himself asked his wife to prepare him this drink at the Latrobe Country Club, thus coining its’ name after its’ creator— American professional golfer, Arnold Palmer. The key to making an Arnold Palmer is all in the ingredients. Tea is the backbone of this iconic combination which is why the quality of tea you choose matters!

What you’ll need: Consider using homemade lemonade and iced tea for quality taste!

  • Lemonade
  • Fresh Lemon
  • Unsweetened Iced Tea (Try our Assam Black Tea for this recipe!)
  • Ice
  • Mint Sprig Garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. First you are going to fill your glass ¾ of the way full with iced tea, make sure to use tea bags that are specifically for iced tea.
  2. Next you are going to fill the remaining ¼ with lemonade.
  3. Finally, add ice and mint sprig garnish (optional) and you are all set for a Summer afternoon!

Now, what are you waiting for? Get to Summer sipping with these 5 amazing iced tea recipes. 

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Types of Tea

5 Modern Rituals Surrounding a Simple Cup of Tea

June 1, 2017

Just over 240 years have passed since the Sons of Liberty defiantly tossed an entire shipment of tea into the Boston harbor. And so began the Revolutionary War. In the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party, John Adams wrote letters to his wife that professed his love for tea, but admitted his reluctant switch over to coffee. Apparently, tea had become unpatriotic and lost its appeal. Thus, coffee began it’s reign.

Needless to say, we have a complicated relationship with tea in the States.

But regardless of where it’s being consumed, tea stands apart from coffee for a variety of reasons. One of the most interesting, perhaps, is the idea of “ritual” that seems to follow tea around like a pre-requisite. It may be an echo of rituals across the globe. It might also be the very nature of tea – the time it takes to brew and the variety of flavors that lend itself to a more sophisticated appreciation than a cup of coffee.

We could write an entire book on all of the ancient rituals surrounding tea. Instead, let’s explore the rituals that exist today that are often left overlooked:

1. The Children’s Tea Party

You’d be hard pressed to find a six year old who doesn’t know what a tea party is, let alone have organized one themselves. It’s almost a phenomenon – what other social event do kids regularly orchestrate on their own? Childhood tea parties are not only incredibly adorable, they are also surprisingly well thought out. The table is set, “guests” gather around, (imaginary) tea is poured and sometimes cookies even make an appearance. Thank you Ye Olde English children’s stories for keeping tea parties alive.

2. The Morning Cup of Tea

First things first, let’s be clear: tea in the morning requires an entirely different process than coffee. A (good) morning cup of tea requires that you heat water, steep your leaves, and wait. And wait…It’s kind of a zen experience, having to wait for your caffeine. Even if you decide to go to a cafe rather than brew at home, you never quite escape the patience that tea insists.

3. The Iced Black Tea and Lemonade

Or, as most people call them, Arnold Palmers (we have our own spin on that from National Lemonade Day). This drink has made a name for itself over the last several years. It started with a golf hero, but it’s fair to assume that few of the 20-something’s that regularly order the well-known beverage have a clue who the man actually is. The ritual lives in routine, and it’s always refreshing to know tea can seamlessly transition into warmer months and trendier libations.

4. The “Sick Day” Tea

“You should drink some tea.” How many times have you heard that advice when you had a runny nose or sore throat? It’s such common sense at this point, and yet you can’t get away from the suggestion. There is a conception, and a valid one, that tea has healing properties. We aren’t doctors, but the doctors we know tell us this is more or less true. Now just imagine that moment after a long day of work and a nasty head cold when you take your first sip of piping hot chamomile tea with lemon, breathing in the steam. It truly feels like you’re drinking a magical healing elixir.

5. The Pot of Tea

This always feels like a big one. A full pot of tea seems to separate the casual drinkers from the die hard. Tea, typically, is a sipping drink. A pot of tea is an hour of your life that you have dedicated to tea (and usually something else… We’re not crazy, we realize you’re probably reading a book or working on a paper too). In that moment, when you fill your pot or order a full pot at the neighborhood cafe, you’ve established yourself as a real “tea drinker.” In our books, that’s a pretty awesome commitment.

We invite you to join us and share your favorite tea ritual.

Tell us. Share with us. Join in and help paint the picture of tea.

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