As the temperatures rise, our drinks should cool off. This spring we have three great recipes for all of our tea drinkers. These will make you never want to drink tea regularly again.

Lemonade Tea Punch

What you will need:

• 4 cups water
• 3 inches fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup loose-leaf darjeeling tea or other loose-leaf black tea
• ½ of a 12-ounce can (¾ cup) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1/3 cup honey
• Ice cubes or crushed ice
• Lemon slices or thin lemon wedges
• Vodka, gin or bourbon (optional)

Bring the water and ginger to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add the tea. Let stand for 10 minutes, covered. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer, collecting the ginger and tea leaves separately.

Put the tea into a pitcher. Stir in the lemonade then the honey. Cool for 30 minutes then put in the refrigerator and chill for at least four minutes. Stir the mixture before serving.

(If adding liquor, only pour in one-tablespoon per serving.)

Green Tea Soda

What you will need:

• 8 bags green, gingko or ginseng tea
• ½ cup honey
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup orange or tangerine juice
• ½ cup lemon or lime juice
• 4 cups assorted fresh fruit, such as lemon slices, orange slices, white or regular nectarine wedges, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and/or pitted dark sweet cherries
• ½ one-liter bottle of plain or flavored sparkling water, such as raspberry, strawberry or peace, chilled (2 cups)

In a heat-proof medium glass bowl, add tea bags and honey to boiling water. Stir in honey until completely dissolved. Steep for 10 minutes covered at room temperature. Remove tea bags and let it cool to room temperature.

Add the orange and lemon juices to the pitcher of tea. Cover and chill for 24 hours. To serve, add the fruit and sparkling water. This should be 8-10 servings worth.

Florida Iced Tea

What you will need:

• 4 tea bags
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 Florida oranges
• 2 medium lemons
• 2 cups Florida orange juice
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons Florida honey
• 1 liter ginger ale, chilled
• Add 1 ½ oz of vodka per serving for adult beverages

Cook the tea bags in boiling water in a pan. Steep for seven minutes then toss the tea bags. Pour the tea into a pitcher. After peeling and sectioning two oranges and one lemon, add them to the tea. Stir in the orange and lemon juices and honey. Refrigerate over night.

Cut one orange and lemon into slices then freeze. Discard the fruit from the tea. Add the ginger ale. Serve with frozen fruit.

These three drinks are sure to make you never drink tea plain again. Enjoy!

By: Julia Morgan | Image: Source