Summertime Faves: Mint Iced Tea

One of the many (and I mean many) reasons I look forward to summer—apart from the sun, the summer fashion, and summer Fridays at work—is the refreshing beverages. And I’m not just talking those of the alcoholic persuasion either. My all-time favorite summer drink is Mint Iced Tea. It’s something I grew up on, so it has a lot of pleasant associations for me: picking the fresh mint from my grandfather’s garden, sitting on the front porch with my grandmother, and even sipping a glass of iced tea after playing tag with my cousins.

So when I bought mint for my little herb garden earlier this summer, the one use I had in mind for my mint leaves was a nice, cold glass of Mint Iced Tea. And I thought I’d share my recipe! I like my iced teas sweet and not quite so tea-y, so if you like stronger brews or less sweetness I’ll provide a couple suggestions for you.

Mint Iced Tea

You’ll Need…

1 gallon of boiled water

4 tea bags

7-8 fresh mint leaves

¼ cup of lemon juice

8-10 tbsp. of sugar

And the Steps…

Boil a pot of hot water and steep 4 tea bags. Muddle (crush or “bruise”) 4-5 mint leaves and add to the pot. Leave the tea bags and mint leaves steeping in the boiled water until it has cooled to room temperature. I tend to do this early in the morning so it’s ready by afternoon, or I leave the tea to brew overnight. It’ll take several hours. When the water has reached room temperature, remove the tea bags and the mint leaves. Stir in sugar and lemon juice until both are fully incorporated, and transfer mixture from the pot to your pitcher. Muddle the remaining mint leaves and drop them into your pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled and serve over ice.

For those of you who like strong iced teas, I’d suggest adding a tea bag or two more than the above recipe. And depending on how sweet you like your teas, you may wish to use less sugar or maybe even a bit more. I’d suggest doing the sugar to taste though—this is just how I like mine.

----------

There is seriously nothing more refreshing in my book! You can also experiment with different flavored teas, but I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to mine.

What's your favorite summertime drink?