“Imagine a delicious glass of summer iced tea. Take a long, cool sip. Listen to the ice crackle and clink. Is the glass part full or part empty? Take another sip. And now?”
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more meditative and beautifully sensory description of iced tea on a summer day than in these words by the novelist Vera Nazarian. I love that I can see the glass and hear the ice, and take a moment to just notice it with pleasure. In my mind, inviting drops of frosty condensation slide over my fingers as I go to take a sip. A lemon is almost translucent as a ray of sun pierces the golden tea.
It was 97 degrees outside this past weekend, and I wanted nothing more than that quintessential summer moment with my favorite refreshing beverage. As I cooled down with my glass in hand, my mind wandered to all the versions of iced tea that cut through the summer heat so joyfully. Here are some of my favorite ways to mix it up:
Herbal Iced Teas
Who said you needed a caffeinated iced tea to get a refreshing boost? Herbal teas that you enjoy on cold winter nights can turn into bright, delicious sippers for summer days. Brew mint, chamomile, hibiscus or ginger tea, allowing it to steep longer than you might if you were making a winter cuppa. Pour over ice, garnish with a sprig of fresh herbs if you’d like, and dive into the herbaceous freshness that will cool you down, body and soul.
Juice-Hybrid Iced Teas
You’ve probably heard of the famous lemonade-iced tea combo named for the golfer Arnold Palmer. The sweet, tart perfection of lemonade is tempered with the earthy, mildly bitter pleasure of a glass of brewed iced tea. One bonus of an Arnold Palmer is that you cut both your caffeine and your sugar intake in half when you enjoy your drink this way. Another bonus is that an “Arnold Palmer” can become a method as much as a recipe. Try limeade or orange juice with ginger iced tea, or zip some fresh watermelon in a blender and combine with a bracing mint iced tea for summer in a glass.
However you enjoy iced tea this summer, don’t forget to take the time to savor the icy pleasures of the experience. That joyful calm will keep you just as cool as the actual temperature of the drink!
