5 Ways To Up Your Iced Tea Game

Guest blogger Bonnie Eng, Thirsty For Tea

The clink of ice against a glass and a generous waterfall-like pour…that’s right guys,iced tea season is here! Any hot day can be made that much more perfect with a refreshing glass of iced tea. We’re all used to that standard sprig of mint or slice of lemon, but here are some other not-so-common ways to spruce up your iced tea this summer.

Pique Tea’s organic, high-quality, easy-to-brew tea crystals are a cinch to use and steep perfectly every time. Start the brewing process with a small amount of room temperature water, then add and ice, and poof you have delicious ice tea! Pair Pique Tea Crystals along with these simple ideas and summer thirst quenching will never be the same.

1. Edible Flowers, paired with Jasmine Tea Crystals

There’s something wonderfully shabby chic about flowers floating around in your iced tea. Just add the petals directly into the cooled tea or freeze them into cubes like I have here. For an eclectic look, these ice cubes are frozen into rings from my mini donut pan. Make sure to separate each of the petals rather than leaving them in clumps–this makes for a prettier effect and also helps the blooms go farther.

2. Vanilla Beans, paired with Earl Grey Tea Crystals

Vanilla is something we always think about when baking, but this warm flavor works amazingly well in teas too. Whether it’s in the form of an extract, paste, or pure vanilla beans, the taste of vanilla adds rich depth and natural sweetness. If you do go the luxurious route and use scrapings from a vanilla bean, the leftover pod doubles up as a whimsical drink stirrer!

3. Freeze-Dried Fruit Rims, paired with Sencha tea crystals

When it comes to rimmed drinking glasses, we often think of margaritas, but this technique works just as beautifully for iced tea. Sugar is a common ingredient used for this purpose, but I’m a bigger fan of using freeze-dried fruit like strawberries, raspberries or peaches. Simply crush or grind the fruit, then use honey, agave, or maple syrup to adhere the fruit to the drinking cups.

4. Milk & Honey Ice Cubes, paired with English Breakfast Tea Crystals

Milk, honey, and black tea…need I say more? Start with one cup of good quality milk (2% or whole works well here), then add 2 tablespoons of honey. Stir the milk vigorously until the honey dissolves, pour the milk into ice cube molds, and into the freezer they go. Make your tea just a tad bit stronger than normal, and you’ll have robust, perfectly chilled milk tea every time. For all you milk tea lovers out there–you’ve got to try this!

5. Fat Straws, paired with Mint Sencha Tea Crystals

Jumbo straws are often thought of as a boba tea bar drinking accessory, but for delicious iced tea, these can do so much more. I love these for drinking up bits of colorful, cut fruit. Mangos, strawberries, kiwi, and even soft-fleshed melons like watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe look and taste amazing when their fresh flavors mingle with tea.

Post and photos by Bonnie Eng of Thirsty For Tea.