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Nothing can soothe the soul like a tall glass of iced tea. With summer comes the body-draining heat, which makes our bodies dehydrated. Water can only play a significant role in hydrating our body, but our body needs the extract push of flavours to beat this summer heat.
Keep a pitcher of your favourite iced tea flavour on hand to stay refreshed through the hot summer days ahead. With so many delicious options for homemade infusions, you're sure to find an icy tea that's just right for you this summer.
Chamomile-Strawberry-Orange Cold-Brewed Tea
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The chamomile-strawberry-orange cold-brewed tea is a refreshing and flavourful summertime beverage. To make it, simply add a few chamomile tea bags, sliced strawberries, and orange slices to a large pitcher. Pour cool water over the ingredients and allow them to steep together in the refrigerator overnight.
The water will slowly extract the herbal flavours from the chamomile, the sweet juiciness of the strawberries, and the bright citrus notes from the orange. In the morning, remove the solids and enjoy the resulting cold tea, now infused with the aromatic blend of floral chamomile, sweet strawberry, and bright orange.
Pomegranate and Lime Iced Tea
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Pomegranate and lime iced tea is a refreshing, zesty beverage perfect for hot summer days. The tartness of the pomegranate and lime provide a bright pop of flavour, while the iced tea base offers classic refreshment. To make this iced tea, start by brewing a strong batch of basic black tea, allowing the tea bags to steep for several minutes to extract maximum flavour. While the tea brews, juice several fresh limes and add the juice to a pitcher.
Next, pour in pomegranate juice, using about half pomegranate and half tea. Remove the tea bags from the finished tea and pour the hot tea into the pitcher. Allow to cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator. The pomegranate and lime flavours will infuse as the tea chills. Finally, serve the iced tea over ice and garnish with lime wheels.
Classic Sweet Tea
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Classic sweet tea is a beloved Southern drink made by steeping black tea bags in hot water along with plenty of white sugar. The sweet tea is then chilled to make an icy, refreshing beverage, perfect for a hot summer day. To make classic sweet tea, bring four cups of water to a boil and add four black tea bags. Let the tea bags steep for five minutes before removing them. While the tea is steeping, stir in one cup of white granulated sugar until it is dissolved. Remove the tea bags and pour the hot tea into a pitcher. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least two hours. Serve the chilled, sweet tea in tall glasses filled with ice.
Lemonade Iced Tea
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Lemonade iced tea is a refreshing summertime beverage that combines the tartness of lemonade with the rich flavour of brewed tea. To make this drink, start by brewing a pitcher of your favourite variety of tea, such as black, green, or herbal. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before combining it with freshly squeezed lemonade in a ratio of half tea and half lemonade.
The lemonade provides puckery citrus notes that perfectly complement the tea. Mix the tea and lemonade together in a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Before serving, fill glasses with ice to chill the lemonade iced tea. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice.
Also Read: Cocktails To Make With Iced Tea
Mint Iced Tea
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Mint tea is a soothing, refreshing beverage made from the aromatic leaves of the mint plant. The most common varieties used are peppermint and spearmint, which lend a cool, sweet flavour to the tea. To make mint tea, start by bringing water to a boil. While waiting for the water, gently wash and tear the mint leaves from the stems. The leaves can be left whole or torn into smaller pieces, depending on your preference.
Once the water has boiled, remove it from the heat. Place the mint leaves into a teapot or heatproof pitcher and pour the hot water over them. Let the leaves steep for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavour to fully infuse. The longer it steeps, the stronger the mint flavour will become. Some like to add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the tea. For an extra refreshing taste, serve the mint tea chilled over ice.
Lemon Verbena Ice Tea
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Lemon verbena ice tea is a refreshing summertime beverage made from the fragrant leaves of the lemon verbena plant. The leaves impart a bright, citrusy flavour and aroma reminiscent of lemon and lime. To make lemon verbena ice tea, start by steeping a handful of fresh lemon verbena leaves in hot water for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Some like to muddle the leaves to release more oils. Then strain the tea into a pitcher and stir in honey or simple syrup to taste.
Peach Iced Tea
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Peach iced tea is a refreshing summertime beverage made from brewed tea, sweet peach flavouring, and plenty of ice. To begin, add a few tea bags of your favourite black or green tea to hot water and allow it to steep for 5-7 minutes to extract maximum flavour. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature.
Next, pour the cooled tea into a pitcher and stir in some peach syrup or peach nectar to infuse it with a sweet, juicy peach flavour. Add enough to achieve your desired level of peachiness. Top off the pitcher with cold water and plenty of ice cubes. For best results, use frozen peach slices or fresh peach slices to add delightful chunks of fruit. Give the tea a final stir, then pour over glasses filled with more ice and garnish with a peach slice.
Marian's Iced Tea
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Marian's Iced Tea is a refreshing summertime beverage made from simple ingredients. It starts with a base of freshly brewed black tea that is cooled to room temperature. The tea is then combined with freshly squeezed lemon juice, which adds a bright, citrusy flavour.
Next, a sweetener like cane sugar or honey is stirred in to taste. The tea is poured over a glass filled with ice cubes to chill it even further. Finally, sprigs of mint and slices of lemon are used to garnish the iced tea, adding a pop of colour and a burst of freshness.
Watermelon and Basil Iced Tea
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Watermelon and basil iced tea is a refreshing summertime beverage that combines the sweet juiciness of watermelon with the fragrant herbal notes of basil. To make this thirst-quenching drink, start by blending chunks of ripe, red watermelon with cold water and straining out the pulp.
You'll be left with sweet, pink watermelon juice. Next, gently muddle several fresh basil leaves in the bottom of a pitcher to release their flavours. Pour the watermelon juice over top and stir to combine. Before serving, top with some ice cubes and extra basil leaves for garnish.
Minty Iced Green Tea
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Refreshing and invigorating, minty iced green tea is a delightful summer beverage. The crisp, herbal flavour of green tea forms the base, while the addition of fresh mint leaves adds a cooling burst of menthol. The tea steeps for several minutes to extract the earthy flavours of the green tea leaves.
Then, the tea is chilled over ice, turning an emerald green. Finally, sprigs of mint are muddled in to infuse their essence. The resulting drink is complex yet balanced, with tannic tea notes complementing the bright, minty highlights. Served frosted in a tall glass, minty iced green tea makes a perfect pick-me-up on a hot day.
