Summer’s here. It’s hot, humid, and it feels like you just can’t get away from the heat. It’s the season of beaches, sunscreens, and refreshing summer drinks. When it comes to the latter, one of the beverages that come to mind is tea.
Tea is healthy, hydrating, and loaded with good stuff like antioxidants. Since it’s too blistering to drink anything other than something cold, folks usually drink it in the form of iced tea. Iced tea is good, but it gets too boring when you have it on the daily. Upgrade the refreshing summer drink with these.
Raspberry and Peach
You can’t get any more fruity and tropical with raspberry and peach flavors. This great combination is perfect to upgrade your bland iced tea into something more popping. You can add slices of oranges and pieces of raspberry with the ice to make it look more Instagram-worthy! Follow this recipe if you’re interested to try it.
Iced Chai Cubes
Ever get annoyed when your drink gets watery because the ice keeps melting? It can’t be helped this summer with the heat and all, so why not make your ice cubes with masala chai? The great thing about this recipe is that it is vegan and gluten-free, so you can share it with everyone.
Chai is essentially black tea, so you can use any variant of black tea you have, but if you want something more authentic, get an Indian Assam tea. The recipe can look a bit overwhelming, but remember that the ice cubes are meant to have a concentrated flavor. When you pour the cubes in a glass of milk, you’ll get an instant iced chai latte.
Iced Matcha and Mint
If you prefer your iced tea unsweetened but with a twist, matcha and mint sound like the perfect and refreshing treat. Matcha is a variant of green tea, and it’s basically a beefed-up version that’s made with ground-up leaves of the plant. It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, so it hydrates you and gives you nutrients at the same time.
Matcha comes in powder form, so it’s easy to mix in drinks and even food. For this recipe, you’ll need the usual things to make iced tea, like crushed ice, filtered water, mint, and if you like a bit of sweetness, cane sugar or honey. When you pour the mixture in a glass, you’ll have an aesthetically pleasing shade of green that you can show off on social media.
Peach, Ginger, and Bourbon
How about something boozy for late afternoons and backyard barbecue parties? Peach, ginger, and bourbon iced tea is the perfect drink to have in hand when you’re in the company of friends. There’s nothing quite like spending the last few minutes of sunlight with the right people.
This recipe yields four servings, but you can easily double or triple the ingredients to serve more for your friends. It’s refreshing, delicious, and the flavors really mesh well. Remember to garnish the individual glasses with peach slices before serving.
Milk Tea and Boba (Bubble Tea)
This is not for the lactose intolerant, but if you’re a fan of milk tea, ready those Lactaid pills because you don’t want to miss this out. For those who are not familiar with boba, it’s made out of cassava and frequently seen in Asian bubble teas and also called tapioca pearls. If you can’t find packets of boba at the supermarket, you can prepare your own tapioca pearls at home.
Don’t be intimidated if it’s your first time preparing tapioca pearls. They’re easy to cook and will be done in five minutes, but make sure to check the instructions on the label. When you make bubble tea, make sure to make just enough boba because you’re meant to serve it immediately after they’re cooked and should not be made ahead of time because they’re no good after a few hours.
Bubble teas are usually made with teas that have rich aromas and strong flavors like black or jasmine tea. You can also use Indian chai as well. Check out this recipe for better instructions.
For the milk in the tea, it is recommended to use whole milk to make the beverage rich. You can also use heavy cream if you want it more decadent. You can even go for dairy-free milk alternatives like almond or soy.
Preference for sweetness varies, so you can either sweeten your bubble tea with honey or simple syrup. One or two tablespoons of syrup are enough for some, but other people may prefer their drink to be a little sweeter. The whole point of bubble tea is that it should be refreshing and delicious and enjoyable as you get a bit of boba to chew with every sip.
Bottoms Up
You should make it a point to hydrate as much as you can with beverages this summer. Take a moment to savor the weather and enjoy it.
How do you like to dress up your tea during hot weather in the summer? Share your ideas below.
I drink iced tea all day and like to try different fruity blends. I have not yet tried milk tea. I also want to freeze fruit purees and add them to the tea.
I drink iced tea frequently in the summer so it is fun to have some variety with different flavors. Peach and berry are some of my favorites.
Being a Southern girl, I love tea, especially Sweet Tea. However, I don’t drink caffeine or sweet drinks often anymore. These are wonderful suggestions on how to kick up the traditional drink!
I want to try the Raspberry and Peach tea. I have mint in my garden and usually add that to my tea.
Adding fruit flavors will definitely enhance a cup of tea!
These are great ideas. I really want to try the Peach, ginger, and bourbon iced tea this summer!
These sound so good. We will have to try some. Thank you for the ideas.
I have never actually heard of a milktea. I know some take milk in teas but have never tried it.I would like anything with mint. I also am very fond of ginger.