With the 4th of July just around the corner and the temperatures reaching the 90’s, we are more ready than ever to celebrate. It’s almost time to gather with your family and friends and start the cook out. America loves to celebrate the 4th of July and we love getting into the red, white and blue theme each year! Since we are lovers of tea, we thought we would spice up your typical 4th of July snacks with some tea infused and tea pairings for the holiday.
Hibiscus Iced Tea
Hibiscus tea is a favorite iced tea among many and seems to be sold everywhere these days. It has a beautiful reddish-deep-pink color to it which fits right into the patriotic theme we strive for during the holiday! 4th of July tends to get pretty hot and a tall glass of this iced tea is sure to quench everyone’s thirst! If you want to add a bit more of the theme to this, add frozen blueberries to the pitcher before serving. Not only will this add color but it will keep the tea colder for longer!
Sweet Tea Jello Shots
These Sweet Tea shots are so cute and would make the perfect addition to any cook out celebration or to pass around at your party.
What you’ll need: 1/2 ounce of loose leaf black tea, 1/2 cup of whisky, 4 cups of boiling water, 1 cup of sugar and 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin.
- Start by boiling your water. Once boiling, pour the water into a pitcher, then add your black tea and sugar. Stir well.
- Let Tea steep for 20 minutes, and strain tea. Sprinkle the gelatin envelopes over the tea, and let the gelatin bloom for 15 minutes, until completely dissolved. Stir well, and add Whiskey. Stir to combine so that tea and gelatin are well mixed.
- Line a baking sheet with your shot cups/glasses. Pour the gelatin mixture into the shot glasses. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Garnish with a lemon wedge, serve, and enjoy!
Iced Tea Popsicles
Is there anything better than a Popsicle on a hot summer day? It’s pretty hard to beat. This iced tea popscile is the perfect treat to have for your Fourth of July! You can get as creative as you want with this recipe and choose whichever tea you want! The recipe below calls for black iced tea but feel free to switch it out for whatever flavor you are feeling that day. These tea popsicles are slightly sweet, infused with lemon and easy to make. You will need popscile molds for these so be sure to order them beforehand! If you are reading this and want to make this the day of, paper cups will work in a pinch!
What you’ll need: 1/2 ounce of black loose leaf tea, 2 cups of cold water (yes, cold!), juice of 1/2 lemon and sugar to taste.
- Place the tea and cold water in a bowl and let steep overnight (or for at least 4 hours)
- The next day, strain the tea. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar until dissolved. Taste and adjust with a bit more of either or both lemon and sugar to suit your tastes (tip: both flavors will be less apparent when frozen)
- Pour the tea into your popsicle molds (or paper cups) and freeze for 1 hour
- Let these freeze for at least 3 hours. To release the popsicles from the molds, run the molds under warm water for just the briefest of moments. Then devour!
Charcuterie Board
There is nothing better than a charcuterie board any time of the year. The sweet and salty snacks that fill the board pair perfectly with any tea! To stick with the patriotic theme, try to add as much red white and blue to the board as possible! Here are some ideas for the themed board: raspberries, sausage slices, salami, strawberries, cherries, brie, burrata, gruyere cheeses, blueberries, figs and blackberries.
Cucumber Avocado Tea Sandwiches
Which tea lovers don’t love to snack on finger food? These cucumber avocado sandwiches are so easy to make and incredibly light and refreshing! Inside of these cute sandwiches are:
- 2 ripe avocados, kept cold in the fridge
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
For these small sandwiches in particular we suggest using white bread. Although it may not be the healthiest on the shelf, it is that tastiest! To assemble this tasty snack, start by cutting the crust off the bread. Then add your avocado, lemon and salt into a food processor or blender. This will assure that the spread is creamy and smooth! Finely chop your cucumber with a knife and add to the mix. Next, add your mint and dill. Finish by spreading the mixture on to your bread and cutting the bread diagonal twice to create triangles. Plate and enjoy!
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