Sweet Green Tea and Kumquats Spritzer
Refreshing no-alcohol thirst quencher!
Posted By Savita
Everyone in my family is tea lover! All wants to get up to smell of freshly made spiced black tea (masala chai). After I started working and left home to work in different city, I had to give up morning tea. Actually, I did try making myself a cup of tea for a while.... but slowly... I realized I don't like it. Turned out, more than tea, I was addicted to tea made by Mom :(
Well...... I guess... that luxury goes away as you grow up and move on with your life...
I still make tea, love hot tea, but drink with only breakfast or in the evening. However, during summers our masala chai changes to cold tea drinks. If you follow my blog, you know I love mixing and infusing fruit flavors into our chai tea during hot summer season.
One reason, it is perfect thirst quencher; second reason, fulfill my need of tea for the day, and third; it travels well. Or in other words, can be made in advance. I mean, black tea with milk, if you leave for 15-20 minutes, it turns acidic and changes to a pale dark color. However, chilled tea will taste good even 2-3 hours of steeping!
Thanks to 90+ degree F weather of California, I opened fridge with need of refreshing drink and my eye caught some kumquats. We just bought a packet of green tea to try some refreshing drink this spring-summer season. So, I decided to help myself with a Citrus-y Sweet Green Tea Spritzer! The best part, as I just told you, I made a batch, sipped it while working and kept some for Vishal too!
Spritzers are generally wine based drinks with sparkling water. However, this spritzer is alcohol free yet has beautiful hue of white wine :)
A Green Tea Mocktail!! What yaa say? ;)
Also, Sweet Green Tea Spritzer is sweetened with agave. You can skip it if your prefer sugar-free. Since drink is made with all natural ingredients, it is vegan, gluten free, and also fit for paleo diet. If you can't find kumquats, use sweet navel orange slices (don't peel) instead.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I loved sipping it all day long!
Have a great day!
Savita
Few more fruit-inspired citrus-y refreshing drink from my recipe repertoire.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Kumquat (thin sliced)
- Sparkling Water (club soda, as per need)
- Mint (for garnish)
- 2 Green Tea (tea bags)
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 tbsp Agave Syrup (or more per taste)
Directions
-
1. In one cup water, add half of the kumquats and bring to rolling boil. Then add tea bags, boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 more minutes. -
2. Fish out and discard the tea bags. Let water cool completely. Fill in pitcher of your choice. Top with remaining sliced kumquats, fresh mint, and sparkling water as per taste. Add ice and serve! Additional Notes:
Only add sparkling water and ice just before serving
Savita's Recipe Notes:
Chill the drink for 15-30 minutes before serving.
To prevent diluting with ice cubes. Freeze half of the drink in ice cub tray, add just before serving.
If not planning to use immediately, don't add sparkling water. .
I have used 3 cups sparkling water to this two-tea-bags-1-cup-water steeped green tea.
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