Spring Fresh

Green and Mint Ice Tea

            Spring is in the air here in Vegas and for those of you that live here know that Spring time in Las Vegas is a very short season between a dry cold winter and a boiling hot Summer. So I always want to take advantage of this time by sitting outside with a book and a tall glass of my favorite ice tea. Somehow, I’m not sure how exactly but I’ve acquired a lot of green tea over the winter.

So I decided to make one my family’s staple ice teas, green and mint ice tea. This tea is refreshing and full of antioxidants perfect for this gorgeous Spring day.

Ingredients:

4 bags of green tea

2 bags of mint tea

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

½ cup fresh mint, copped

2 quarts water, boiling

Directions:

First things first, lets make the simple syrup. Now simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves. For this tea we are going to make mint simple syrup. So, in a small sauce pan add ½ cup water, sugar and fresh mint and let it heat. Once the sugar dissipates let the syrup cool strain it and set aside.

Next put all your tea bags in a pitcher be sure to remove any string or tags. Pour the boiling water over and let it steep. I find that only about two minutes is best, any longer and it may have a bitter flavor. Remove the tea bags add the simple syrup and mix well.

Now just pop the tea in the frig until nice and cold. Serve over ice for maximum refreshness!

P.S. I grow my own mint in my backyard, it’s one of the few things that will actually grow here in Vegas, but it will grow in almost any environment and is well worth the effort.