Sometimes there are these tiny clues in the every day that let you in on something really, really big. I love going on long drives with my love in the summer, in any season really. We laugh about everything, talk on some real grit stuff, enjoy the silence when it arises, simultaneously get outraged at some bad driving in the next lane over, relax and sip on coffee when it’s back to normal again. It’s a transition period to the next thing/destination, but it’s totally premium together-time if you ask me.
Best of all, Mark knows what I want to listen to as soon as we settle in to get everything moving on. He has a certain intuition and a breadth of musical awareness that keeps me happy wherever we go. Sometimes it’s dance hall, or it’s Midnight Marauders (my go-to summer driving album of choice), some stand up for a really long drive is usually called for, he’ll never EVER go wrong with Bruce (and he knows this), Talking Heads when it’s late… Those sweet and perfect little selections reflect the ridiculous-good harmony I feel every day in our life. It all works just right every time. Happy, silly, smily-faced gal right here.
Other things that make me smile: a delicious and ample iced tea supply to keep me hydrated all the way through to Labour Day. It’s mega refreshment for sunny days on end. I hope you all love it as much as I do. That soft clinking of ice cubes lazily floating around in some home brew is synonymous with summer for me.
The essential formula I go with is as follows: tea (black, green, herbal or my fave-rooibos) + herbs/spices + citrus juice of some kind + fresh fruit if you feel it + appropriate chilling time (+booze if you wanna get tore up crazy). That’s it. I’ve offered up three fairly choice recipes but this technique is up for plenty of variation and wildness on your part.
One more thing: with at-home iced tea making you can go the hot or cold-brewed route (I’ve included instructions below). They both require the same amount of tea when all is said and done. Cold brewing results in a more clarified beverage with more subtle nuances taste-wise. I love this method if I’m using green tea. If you need iced tea immediately, the hot method is gonna be your jam: brew, sweeten, add ice and go.
HOMEMADE ICED TEA WITH 3 VARIATIONS
Print the recipe!
SERVES: makes 1 litre (32 oz.)
NOTES: I’ve included a basic frame of ingredients, 3 specific recipes and hot + cold brewing methods for your convenience :)
BASIC INGREDIENTS:
6 tsp loose leaf tea OR 5-6 tea bags
fresh herbs, fruit & whole spices if using
water (amount depends on method used)
1/4 – 1/2 cup citrus juice of your choosing
1/4 – 1/3 cup liquid sweetener (agave nectar, raw honey, maple syrup, simple syrup etc)
ice (if using hot-brew method)
RECIPE 1: strawberry vanilla bean rooibos iced tea
Rooibos is like nature’s gatorade (electrolytes!), so I love sipping on this when the heat rises.
6 tsp rooibos tea or 5-6 rooibos tea bags
4 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 vanilla bean pod (I save the leftover pods when I bake with the seeds)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup agave nectar (I like light agave here)
RECIPE 2: iced green tea with lemongrass, mint and lime
So fresh, light caffeine and all the antioxidants/good stuff you love about green tea.
6 tsp green tea leaves or 5-6 tea bags
1 stalk of lemongrass, cut in half and bashed up with the back of your knife
2 sprigs of mint, leaves removed
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup raw honey
RECIPE 3: not-super-sweet sweet tea with orange and spice
My man’s insane love of Southern-style sweet tea finds its healthy match right here (adapted from Bryant Terry’s amazing recipe in this book).
6 tsp ceylon orange pekoe tea or 5-6 tea bags
1 large cinnamon stick, broken in half
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup dark agave nectar
HOT BREWING METHOD:
1. Place tea, fruit, herbs/whole spices in a non-reactive pitcher
2. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over top
3. Add citrus juice and sweetener, stir to combine
4. Brew (2 minutes for green tea, 3-5 minutes for black tea, 5+ minutes for herbal or rooibos teas)
5. Strain out tea and herbs/whole spices
6. Return brewed and sweetened tea to the pitcher
7. Top up to 1 litres-worth with ice
8. Stir to rapidly chill and enjoy!
COLD BREWING METHOD:
1. Place tea, fruit, herbs/whole spices in a non-reactive pitcher
2. Top up to 1 litres-worth with filtered water
3. Cover and leave in the fridge to brew slowly overnight
4. Strain out tea and herbs/whole spices in the morning
5. Return brewed tea to the pitcher
6. If using honey or maple syrup, dissolve it in 1/4 cup boiling water before adding to brewed tea to sweeten. Any other liquid sweetener should dissolve just fine in the cold tea (like agave or simple syrup).
7. Add citrus juice, stir to combine and enjoy!
I am a stickler for real brewed iced tea and could drink it by the gallon every day of Summer. Much like it should be.
I’m also a stickler for that alone time, shoulder to shoulder in the car, just him and I, the ribbon of road unwinding beneath us and no agenda. A stop for coffee, an open window, the right words or the perfect silence. Sometimes it pulls us together like nothing else.
I grew up making iced tea from scratch. My mom’s was always the same style: few bags of black tea, sugar, lemon. But I like to be a bit more creative and try something new. I love your variations and I can’t wait for warmer weather to get started on some ice tea experimentation! And downloading your summer mix now!
this IS the real deal. Its going in my filing cabinet for when summer rolls around
T x
There’s nothing better than homemade ice tea on a hot summer’s day!
Love iced tea; love your attention to method in making it. Most of all, love how smily-faced you are :) Cheers to that—S
I’m a big fan of the cold brew method for it’s low maintenance stick-it-in-the-fridge-overnight breezy attitude. Perfect for summer. I like the twists in each of your recipes too, a hint of vanilla bean, a bit of lemongrass and mint, cinnamon and citrus. I think Bruce and the Talking Heads are a must on summer driving/flying mixes, look forward to listening to yours. Enjoy New York!
Ooh brilliant. As a South African living in London rooibos is my staple drink in the winter but I just can’t drink hot things in the summer. Hadn’t thought of icing it. Doh.
Ahh, I love that you let us in on your car adventures;) Sounds superfun! (Downloading the list now!)
Also, great recipes of course!
Have an amazing time in NY!
Love
Elenore
I’ve never actually made iced tea before… I guess I could say that one too many times I have let my tea go cold, so instead of reheating it I add ice, but I’m not sure that counts. I love how you add herbs, juices, and fruits. I can’t wait to try!
Yay, it’s finally iced tea weather! I love your different fruit & spice variations. Right now I have plain mint and plain green iced teas in the fridge, but I certainly feel some further experimentation coming on soon!
Nice!! Your post feels like summer. I like it.
And thank you for all the ice tea options! I always drink black tea lemonade, but finding good tasting lemonade concentrate with out corn syrup is next to impossible. I’m excited to try some of these.
[And I can’t wait to check out your mix!}