One thing I miss the most about living in the US is the abundance and variety of iced teas - both in stores and in restaurants. It's the ultimate, thirst-quenching summer drink. Fortnum & Mason recently published three of their tastiest "teatail" recipes - cocktails made with their world-famous tea: the fragrant Rose Negroni, the refreshing Earl Grey Aperol, and the zingy Jasmine Sour.
Though I've been alcohol-free for almost a year now, this didn't stop me from whipping up my own, non-alcoholic "teatail". Inspired by Fortnum & Mason's Rose Negroni, I made a batch of rose lemonade iced tea yesterday, using Fortnum's Rose Pouchong tea. The delicate notes of rose add just an extra little oomph to this popular summer drink - making it the ideal aperitif to serve at summer garden parties.
I estimated the measurements for most of my ingredients (isn't that what summer's all about? Being a bit slapdash and carefree? No? Just me, then), but to make this recipe, you'll need (give or take):
- 1 lemon and 1 cup of granulated sugar (for the sugar rim)
- 5 - 6 teaspoons of Fortnum & Mason's Rose Pouchong loose leaf tea
- lemonade (either from concentrate, homemade, or store-bought - I was in a rush, so I cheated and used store-bought!)
- ice cubes (as many as you'd like, though if your tea is especially strong, you might want more to dilute the drink as they melt)
Zest your lemon, combining the zest with the sugar in a bowl. Run a wedge of lemon along the rim of your glass and dip it in the zest and sugar mixture, before setting it to one side (feel free to skip this step if you're not a fan of sugar-rimmed glasses!). Meanwhile, make your tea! Heap the teaspoons into your pitcher and fill it halfway with hot water (just-boiled) water. Let it steep for 3-4 minutes before filling the rest with cold water, leaving it to sit at room temperature and popping it into the fridge for half an hour or so. When it's ready, pour the tea into another pitcher, straining the tea leaves with a sieve. Drop 2-3 large ice cubes (or as many as you'd like) into your glasses and fill the glasses two-thirds of the way with the tea, and top it up with a lemonade of your choice (I bought sparkling lemonade, which was delicious!). Stir well. Serve with a slice of lemon, and a rose petal, if you so desire!
What do you think of this "teatail"-inspired summery drink? I'm looking forward to making it for guests this summer!
Picnic hamper, tea towel, glasses, straws, and Rose Pouchong tea provided courtesy of Fortnum & Mason. All opinions are my own. Shop Fortnum & Mason's delicious blend of teas here.
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