As we say hello to summer nothing tastes quite as good as a refreshing glass of ice tea. I set up this flavor filled bar last month and it really put me in the lazy, long weekend, summer mood. A super easy set up and fun idea for warm weathered entertaining.
The tea was brewed ahead of time with each ingredient soaked into the individual batches. Mint is definitely my new summer favorite, it is really good!
A few tips for brewing the perfect summer ice tea batch.
- Boil your water rapidly and then pour water over loose tea leaves in a separate container.
- Use good quality tea leaves, 1/8 cup per 6 cups of water. The better the leaves, the better the tea will taste!
- Add in flavoring of choice and steep for five additional minutes.
- Pour hot tea through a strainer and chill for thirty minutes, add ice just before serving.
Each ingredient was set out on the table (the anise stars are really pretty), although once the tea has been chilled the flavors will not take well to the drinks.
Making combinations of the brewed flavors was great fun; cinnamon + sugar, mint + anise + sugar are a few good ones. Here is a list of 100 other ice tea flavors you could try. Keep a pad and pen nearby for guests to write down their favorite mixtures.
Photography by Carly Taylor for a subtle revelry.
blessings.
