Simple Summer Drinks

An Iced drink is the perfect companion on a hot summer’s day; keep you head cool with these 3 easy Simple Summer Drinks are a easy mixes using instant powdered iced tea and fruits. Drink it for afternoon lunches, at breaks with a snack on the side or even at dinnertime. These refreshers will surely cool you off for the incoming heat.

What exactly is iced tea?

It was in June 1904, on the banks of the Mississippi river where booths were lined up to attract and promote their products and ideas. Richard Blechynden, an Englishman was representing tea growers from India, he sold hot black tea to the American public, during that time China dominated the tea market, and green tea was popular in the Midwest, cooled beverages were also getting popular, following the public’s interest to stand out of the crowd, Richard tried brewing a stronger tea and poured this over ice. 

For some historians, iced tea has been seen in the United States since the 1800’s. black tea was a commonly used tea for this drink and were used in cocktails, some cookbooks use a combination of green tea, liquor, sugar, cream, and ice to make punch. Iced teas became even more prevalent as the later half of 1800. A fixture on the American culture especially on the Southern United States, the oldest recipe for sweet tea includes 6 ounces of tea, 2 teaspoons sugar, ice, with a squeeze of lemon. In 1928, a cookbook named ‘Southern Cooking’ with a iced tea recipe by Mrs. S.R. Dull who created the standard of Southern Iced tea which was a mix of freshly brewed black tea infused for 3 to 5 minutes, once the desired strength of tea is obtained, pout over ice and mixed and sweetened. Iced tea has been so popular that June was named as ‘National Iced Tea Month’ with June 10^thbeing the ‘National Iced Tea Day’. Popularly served in almost every homes, restaurant, meal, or just to cool off from the hot summer weather. Nowadays iced teas are bottles or in powder form to be dissolved in water and poured over ice sold in groceries, convenience stores, food stalls, and even added to make a variety of sweet tea vodka or punches.

Why these these Simple Summer Drinks are perfect for hot sunny days? 

There’s just something fun and easy with using powdered iced tea drinks. Its easily available and isn’t a hassle to make. But what makes Iced tea so fun is the easily versatile ways you can jazz it up! Adding a variety of fruits and a sprig of rosemary or mint makes a fancy well done looking drink. 

Summer is usually seen as the season for color and any cold drink liven up colorful ice, fruits and edible flowers makes for an instagram worthy shot! Ice tea dates back to the 1870’s from the earliest cookbooks by Mary Ann Mason. Seen as a novelty drink at first and became widespread in the 1870’s, offered and sold in hotels and stations and rapidly become popular as a standard inclusion in a meal usually made fresh using tea leaves and fruits or manufactured in bottle or canned version.

Simple Summer Drinks using Iced Tea is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer’s day!

Colorful iced tea drinks (using Nestea) (Tagalog)

Sahog:

Iced Tea Syrup

• 1 pack powdered Ice tea packet
• 1/2 tasa mainit na tubig

Berry Iced Tea

• 1/3 – ½ tasa pinalamig or sariwang berries
• 1 kutsarang mint leaves (opsyonal)

Lemonade-Iced Tea

• 1 limon
• Supang rosemary (opsyonal)

Simple Sunrise

• 1 tasa orange juice

Extra

• Yelo
• Sprite/ sparkling na tubig/ tubig

Paano Lutuin:

1. Ihanda ang iced tea syrup; paghaluin ang powder at tubig. Itabi.
2. Para sa Berry Iced Tea; sa baso, lagyan ng kalahating yelo, at kalahating pinalamig na berries, dahan dahang ibuhos ang sprite o sparkling na tubig or tubig hanagang sa baso. Iwanan ng 1 pulgada. Lagayn ng 1 o 2 kutsarang iced tea syrup. Dekorasyunan ng mint leaves.
3. Para sa Lemonade-Iced Tea; hatiin ang limon, pigain ang isa at hiwain naman ang kalahati nito. Sa isang  baso, lagyan ng yelo at hinati na limon, ilagay ng limon juice, dahan dahang ibuhos ang sprite o sparkling na tubig or tubig hanagang sa baso. Iwanan ng 1 pulgada. Lagayn ng 1 o 2 kutsarang iced tea syrup. Dekorasyunan ng limon sa tabi.
4. Para sa Simple Sunrise; sa baso lagyan ng yelo , at ibuhos ang 1 o 2 kutsarang iced tea syrup, dahan dahan ibuhos ang orange juice. Lagyan ng mint leaves o mga hati ng orange o limon pag dekorasyon.