National Iced Tea Month: Refreshing flavors for Summer!

According to the National Calendar Day – it’s National Iced Tea Month.  Yay for me!  I drink unsweetened iced tea everyday — all day long.  I’ve been an iced tea drinker since way back, and even though I am a Southern girl, sweet tea is not my thing.  Add a spring of mint and a lemon slice and my heart sings!

My sister-in-law was asking me recently for some ideas on refreshing non-alcoholic drinks for the summer.  Although, I have 415 recipes on my Pinterest “Just a Sip” page, it is much easier to find a flavored tea and no need to buy a bunch of ingredients to add to the expense.  An added bonus — black tea has many health benefits.

About a month ago, I signed up to receive a series of Tea: 101 emails from the Republic of Tea on how to brew the perfect cup of tea.  I perused their catalog and ordered three tins of tea to try.

Organic Strawberry Basil Tea.  This is my new favorite.  You can definitely taste the strawberry, but not in a sweet way.  It’s subtle. There’s an essence of basil, but just enough. This would be perfect with for a ladies luncheon with tea sandwiches.  It’s fresh.

Watermelon Mint Tea.  It was a little overwhelming at first, very watermelon-ey. But once I drank the first glass, it was different in a good way.  I liked the taste of the mint. I can see a pitcher of this poolside. Add a wedge of watermelon on the edge of the glass and it will be impressive.

Ginger Peach Tea.  It’s always my fall back tea.  My favorite place to get this is at McKinley’s with a chicken salad sandwich.  It will always be in my pantry, but I am glad I tried the other two teas.

How Mrs. Twist Makes Iced Tea

Fill a kettle with cold water and let it come to a boil.  Meanwhile, put two bags of flavored tea, and three bags of Lipton tea into a large heat-resistant bowl measuring cup (like a Pampered Chef Batter Bowl with a spout). Before I put the tea bags into the bowl I fluff them up so they aren’t flat.  I think this allows the water to flow through the tea leaves. Pour boiling water into the bowl and I let it sit on the counter until it is cool to the touch.  I like really strong tea so I leave the bags in until I dilute with water.  I pour it in a gallon sized plastic jug and fill with filtered water.  I always have a gallon of tea in the door of the fridge at all times.  The other thing I always have on-hand during the warm months, is a jam jar full of fresh mint from my garden.  Mint thrives in our Texas heat and humidity.

Be sure to visit The Republic of Tea site.  There are tons of other flavored teas to try — like Blackberry Sage — and lots of great information like 25 Fun Facts about Republic of Tea.  Did you know it was founded by the same people that founded Banana Republic?  And, they were the first company to receive USDA certified organic certification.

What’s your favorite summer sip?  Please share!