Hibiscus Isle Margarita
Longer days mean dinner outside and provides the opportunity to create some tea cocktails with a spring flare. Each recipe provides a fun way to mix your tea addiction with a bit of evening fun.
Hibiscus Isle Margarita (Serves 4)
- 16 ounces of brewed Hibiscus Isle tea
- 4 oz tequila
- Juice from a lime
- 1 tablespoon Agave Nectar
To brew the tea, use 1 tablespoon of the Hibiscus Isle tea and steep in water at 185 degrees for 3 minutes. Strain off the leaves and refrigerate the tea to cool it down. If you do not have time to allow to cool in the refrigerator, brew the same 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water at 185 degrees for 3 minutes and then strain out the tea leaves pouring the tea over 1 cup of mounded ice. The ice will melt, getting you the full 16 ounces of tea and the tea will be cold. In a pitcher combine the tea, tequila, line and agave nectar and stir. Serve over ice.
Adirondack Beer Cooler (Serves 3)
- 12 ounces of brewed Adirondack Berries Tea
- 12 ounces of your favorite IPA beer (this can be substituted with a malty black tea like Yunnan Sunrise or Colonial Breakfast)
- Juice from 3/4 of a lemon
- 3 tsp of Agave Nectar
To brew the tea, put 2 tsp of the Adirondack Berries tea into 12 ounces of boiling water and allow to steep for 5 minutes and strain off the tea. Put in the refrigerator to cool. If you do not have time to cool in the refrigerator, brew the 2 teaspoons of tea in 6 ounces or 2/3 cup of boiling water and then strain out the tea over a mounded 1/2 cup of ice. This will cause the ice to melt and cool the tea down immediately.
In a pitcher, pour in the tea, and then add the remaining ingredients and stir. Assuming the beer and tea where both cold, you will not need ice cubes.
Darjeeling Gin (Serves 4)
- 3 grams (2 teaspoons) of 2nd Flush Darjeeling, Makabari Estate
- 8 oz of dry Gin
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 3 tsp Agave Nectar
Pour the gin into a container with a lid. Put the tea directly into the gin and put the lid on the container. You can leave the container out on the counter or put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but it gets stronger if you allow it to go over night before removing the tea leaves. In a pitcher, mix together the gin, lemon juice and Agave Nectar and stir. This is a perfect drink to use the tea ice cubes with (Link).
There are plenty of other teas that can be substituted in these recipes, so feel free to play and enjoy.