From our newsletter Library:
Our legendary Hummingbird Nectar: how to make iced tea, Simple syrup, cocktails and Mocktails
Cherries, Elderberries, Currants, oh my! The list of ingredients is long for this most delicious tisane. A lovely melange of deeply colored fruits, this blend also includes blueberries, hibiscus, grapes and crystallized maple syrup. Hummingbird Nectar is incredibly versatile; freeze it into deep magenta red popsicles (loved by kids and grown ups!) or ice cubes to add into white wine and soda for a refreshing spritzer.
To make a simple syrup,
use 1:1 proportions of cane sugar to brewed tea, simmer until melted, let the mixture come to a boil and then chill. You can drizzle this simply delicious syrup over fresh fruit salads, a lemon tart, panna cotta, or vanilla ice cream.
Add some flair to your breakfast by combining the used steepings in your pancake or waffle batter and drizzling the simple syrup on top! Go all the way and add a dollop of whipped cream.
The possibilities are endless with Hummingbird Nectar.
Making iced tea is easy. . .
Simply prepare a pot of tea as you normally would. Allow it to cool to room temperature, refrigerate and start your next batch because the first won’t be around for long!
Pro Tip: Make ice cubes out of the tea itself so that you don’t dilute your batch when serving it. These also make for yummy treats on their own.
Other teas and tisanes of ours that are fabulous iced:
In the order pictured above: Sunday Morning, Bumble Blossom Oolong and Tulsi Citrus Soother. A smooth black tea, peach-y oolong, and lemony, spicy green tea, respectively. Click on their pictures to access them in the online shop and read their descriptions!
A short history lesson on iced tea. . .
"One of the most reported iced-tea stories came from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when Richard Blechynden, director of the East India pavilion, became frustrated as he tried to offer samples of hot tea under the simmering Missouri sun. In an attempt to boost consumption, he circulated and chilled the tea through a series of lead pipes immersed in ice. The resulting cool, refreshing beverage was a hit with fairgoers, and the iced drink became popular throughout the United States."
Whether or not this is truly the birth story of iced tea, one thing is for sure– iced tea has been cool for over 100 years! (Quote from Tea Time Magazine)