an iced tea drink, a window view
It’s no longer very hot here in Montreal: the week of summer we were blessed with this year has already passed us by. Nights are now cool and breezy, though afternoons are still warm-to-hot, provided the sun is out. This was a fizzy drink I made for myself a few times last week, during the height of the heat. Mine was pretty and refreshing, though not sweet. I’m not a great fan of sweet drinks. If you are, please add as much sweetener to this as you like, to suit your tastes.
Here’s what I used:
1/4 cup cold brewed green tea
a squirt of lemon juice
1/2 cup of sparkling (fizzy!) water
honey or sugar, to taste, if you wish
frozen strawberries, as iced cubes
The cold-brewed green tea will need to be made beforehand. To do this one should brew a cup or two of tea as usual (hot) in the morning before the day has gotten too warm. I use a nice sencha (about 1.5 teaspoons, brewed with 200ml or less of water, steeped for one minute). A good quality looseleaf tea can be brewed several times usually (2 to 4 times for sencha and Japanese greens, more for most Chinese teas or Ceylons and Darjeelings) so after brewing sencha twice, it still has some tea-oomph in it. I then fill my little teapot with about a cup of cold water, and put it in the fridge for a few hours. The cold water will slowly steep the remaining goodness out of the tea leaves, leaving a nice, mild iced tea. If time is of the essence, the tea could be brewed hot, poured, then put into the fridge to cool off.
For that matter, once could also start the night before, if so inclined. Loose tea leaves could be put into a small jug, pot or jar, then the vessel filled with cool water. If left in the fridge overnight this will become a nice iced tea with no hint of bitterness. I usually use this method only with cheaper teas, because I don’t feel like it gets all the tea essence out of the leaves.
Once your iced tea is made, the rest of this drink is a snap to put together. Pour some of the cold green tea into your glass of choice. Having the glass chilled would be nice. Then squeeze a wedge of lemon into it, put in a few frozen strawberries (or other frozen fruit or berry) into the glass, then top it up with sparkling water. Listen to the little bubbles popping and fizzing. Rest the glass against your cheek for a second, then drink it down. Cooler already, yes?
Love,
Meggie ^^
