fresh strawberry green tea lemonade
I bought the most massive fucking strawberries the other day. They’re mutants, I tell you.
This time of year we have the most beautiful berries. Though, sadly it seems we missed two years in a row of blueberry U-pick, this time due to a shortage at the farm we like going to. Oh well. A sign of spring in general is price drops on a lot of the berry cartons (especially raspberries and blackberries, those are cheap as dirt right now) and I’m as a result very inspired to enjoy some extra play time with the little jewels.
I didn’t really crave a cocktail this week (despite the stress of the days warranting a little imbibement, if I may say so myself) but love getting a new drink out to you on Saturdays – and I kept thinking about Olive Garden’s raspberry lemonade. I drank that shit like water back in the day. I wonder if I’d even like it now considering how intensely my palate has veered away from artificially-flavored shit, but my memories of the sip were always positive. Olive Garden was a huge treat for me in high school and my early college years.
While this is obviously not a dupe, it’s similar in its goal: to refresh. Plus, a good pitcher drink that’s family-friendly is not a bad idea as we scoop out of spring and into summer, since many of us will find ourselves hosting crowds with varying ages, and not all will be able to enjoy sangria.
And so, here comes Fresh Strawberry Green Tea Lemonade. Combining a fruity lemonade with honey-sweetened tea and a touch of fresh mint for a healthier and undoubtedly tasty treat when the days grow sultry and blazers are traded for bikinis.
So, grab your blender and your favorite pitcher, and you’re well on your way to some sweet ass tea.
Tea for You
Choose an unflavored green tea as the base of this drink. Boil some water and steep four bags (yes, it seems like a lot, but since there’s other flavors happening in this drink, you want the earthiness to peek through) for five minutes. Discard the bags and, while the water is still hot, stir in lots of honey. I was content with 1/2 cup, but you can increase the amount if you think you’ll want a sweeter drink. Keep in mind that strawberries and preserves will also lend a sugary kick to the drink later.
I leave my tea on the counter to cool to room temp, but if you’re in a rush, pop the tea in the fridge for a spell, maybe 15 minutes-ish.
Next, squeeze lots of lemons. Sorry, bottled lemon juice just won’t do here, and I wouldn’t buy pre-made lemonade because most of the charm in the pitcher is it’s near full-homemade status. I also think store lemonade is usually to sweet and kind of tinny or artificial. Fresh lemons are where it’s at. You’ll need one cup of juice.
Last, the strawberries. Get the sweetest, freshest ones you can find. Which you won’t really know if they’re the sweetest or the freshest unless you taste one from every pint in the store, which would be fucking rude. Snip off the stems of each and throw into a measuring cup until you achieve two full cups. Lots of strawbs.
Blendy Blend
Finish up the bev in the blender. Throw in your tea, a bit more water, lemon juice, strawberries, some strawberry preserves (buy good shit here, not cheap ole goo), and fresh mint leaves.
Pulse it up until nice and smooth. There will be little tufts of strawberry fiber and mint leaves, so I strain those out with a sieve into my pitcher. Some may escape, but the sieve will catch most of the big suckers.
Here, you can either pour over glasses of ice and serve immediately, or, as I prefer, cover the pitcher and refrigerate a couple hours to cool off organically. Waiting awhile also allows the inevitable froth from the whipping motion of the blender to fizzle out.
Serve with more fresh strawberries and mint leaves. So lovely on a hot day, after an afternoon walk, as was my choice time to enjoy a glass. And while I was shooting the photos, of course. Make this guy a mainstay for spring and it’ll carry you happily into the summer months, too.
Bonus: for my 21+ crowd, a splash of vodka in your glass turns a serving into a proper weekend cocktail.
Tried this out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Berry tasty strawberry treats:
Strawberry Fields Quinoa Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Vinaigrette
fresh strawberry green tea lemonade
Ingredients
- 4 bags green tea
- 5 cups water
- 1/2-3/4 cup honey, to taste
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, halved
- 1/4 cup high-quality strawberry preserves
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed, stems removed
- more mint and strawberries, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep 5 minutes. Discard the bags and stir in the honey until fully dissolved. Let cool.
- In the bowl of a blender, combine the green tea, the remaining 2 cups of water, strawberries, lemon juice, strawberry jam, and mint leaves. Pulse until combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove the solids.
- Pour over glasses of ice to serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh mint and strawberries.
