Today is National Ice Tea Day – and since Rose & Womble is in Southeastern Virginia many of us do love our Ice Tea. The “House Wine of the South” Ice Tea is perfect on a front porch or a family picnic. At our recent Zoo event there were over 50 gallons of the tea served.
To celebrate all things ice tea here a few recipes we found on Pinterest – if you haven’t stopped by our Pinterest page lately you really should – it is a dynamic collection of boards from our favorite places in Hampton Roads to ideas for great decor.
Traditional Southern Sweet Tea:
Nothing gets more attention in the South than a pitch of cold sweet tea. Here’s how you make it
You’ll Need:
- 1-2 cups of sugar (depending on your sweet tolerance)
- 4-5 regular size tea bags
- Gallon Pitcher
- small pot of boiling water
First: Dissolve the sugar with hot water in the gallon pitcher you’re going to use to serve the tea. (Making sugar water will help the sugar incorporate into the tea without grit at the bottom.)
Next: After the water has boiled in the pot remove it from the heat. Then carefully drop the tea bags into the water – keeping the tags out. You may even want to tie them around a fork like this:
Allow the tea to sit in the water for five minutes – or longer depending on how strong you want the tea to be.
Then: Carefully pour the tea into the sugar water and stir until mixed together – add ice and water to fill the pitcher and serve
Thai Ice Tea
If you want something more exotic then try this recipe from whiteonericecouple.com
You’ll Need:
- 4 Black Tea Bags
- 4 cups of water
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- half and half
- ice
First: You need to make the tea:
- Bring the water to boil in a pot and add the tea bags.
- Then stir in sugar until dissolved.
- Boil gently for three – four minutes and then remove from heat
- Keep the tea bags in for 30 minutes and allow to cool – then remove the tea bags
- Next fill tall glasses with ice
- Pour the tea 3/4 of the way up and then add the half and half to fill the rest
The Arnold Palmer
Lemonade is Ice Tea’s Cousin and when you bring the two together magic happens!
You’ll Need:
- 3 cups water
- 4 tea bags
- 1 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- Fresh citrus slices
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and stir in fresh mint. Cover and steep 10 minutes.
Remove and discard tea bags and mint. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
Pour tea into a 3-qt. container, and stir in 4 cups cold water and lemonade concentrate. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.
And you can turn it into Cocktail Time!
Bourbon-Lemonade Iced Tea: Prepare recipe as directed, and stir in 1 cup bourbon. Makes 9 cups.
Spiced Dark Rum-Lemonade Iced Tea: Prepare recipe as directed, and stir in 1 cup spiced dark rum. Makes 9 cups.