On a hot summer day, there’s nothing quite like a glass of iced tea to cool you down, refresh your senses, and make the world slow down for at least a few sips. There are so many ways to innovate around iced tea, from pairing your favorite type with fruit, alcohol, or even vegetables, as these five unique iced tea recipes demonstrate:
1) Spiked Iced Soy Chai Tea
Vanilla soymilk, rum, and honey or agave syrup provide rich flavors to go along with iced black chai tea in this grown-up concoction. Sweet, spicy, and creamy, this drink is perfect for brunch or as a refreshing nightcap.
2) Hibiscus-Mint Iced Tea
Beautifully bright red, this iced tea begins with tart hibiscus tea. Mint and apple juice combine to give the iced tea extra bursts of flavor, and additional mint sprigs provide an aesthetic garnish. According to WebMd, hibiscus may work like a laxative and may help lower blood pressure. Two extra reasons to indulge!
3) Iced Tea Sangria
Tea, fruit, and alcohol? Yes, please. Adding tea to sangria gives it an extra burst of flavor and caffeine. This recipe for iced tea sangria brings passionfruit jasmine tea and white or red wine together with honey and fruit to create the ultimate adult beverage. Stunning to behold, break this drink out when you have someone to impress, or you just need a little beauty in your life.
4) Raspberry Mango Iced Tea
This recipe uses black tea as its cold base and enjoys pops of color from mango juice and whole raspberries. Honey provides additional sweetness, and mango slices add texture to the drink. Mint sprigs provide a finishing touch in this beautiful, fruity iced tea that’s sure to satisfy on a hot day.
5) Tomato Iced Tea
This tea-soup hybrid combines iced tea and gazpacho in a surprising, adventurous take on iced tea. Orange zest and basil cress sink to the bottom of the teapot and each individual teacup should include cucumber pearls and basil cress. This funky combo could be enjoyed as a beverage, side dish, or even as an entire breakfast meal. Go ahead, try something new.
