There’s something about a refreshing drink on a hot summer day that makes it especially memorable. Add good friends and a beautiful setting, and it’s definitely worth recreating at home.

We recently visited Beach Plum Farm in West Cape May, New Jersey, with our friends Jen and Jim M and Chris and Lauren M. This working farm is a lovely spot with a casual outdoor restaurant, a fun market and plenty of locally grown produce. We enjoyed lunch outside at the picnic tables on a particularly hot day. 

Thankfully, they had large dispensers filled with an assortment of iced beverages, including unsweetened iced tea and sweetened lavender iced tea. It’s probably a well-known fact that I love lavender. I don’t typically order iced tea since it’s caffeinated, but I was too intrigued by the lavender version to pass it up.

I filled my glass about three-quarters full with unsweetened iced tea and topped it off with the sweetened lavender tea. It was a lovely combination. The lavender added just enough flavor without being overwhelming—or, perhaps more importantly, soapy.

Naturally, I came home wanting to recreate it. My version begins with decaffeinated Twinings English Breakfast tea and adds mint for another layer of summer flavor. I used Bigelow Mint Medley, a blend of peppermint and spearmint and naturally decaffeinated, plus culinary lavender from Mt. Airy Lavender in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Be sure to use lavender specifically labeled for culinary use.

I make iced tea in a large 8-cup (1/2-gallon) Mason jar. Four English Breakfast tea bags, one mint tea bag and two teaspoons of culinary lavender provide just the right amount of flavor. If you prefer caffeine, regular English Breakfast works equally well. Darjeeling, Ceylon or a traditional black tea blend would also be good options.

I add one tablespoon of simple syrup—not enough to make this “sweet tea,” but just enough to smooth out any bitterness. It’s completely optional.

After a few hours in the refrigerator, you’ll have a perfectly refreshing summer tea. And perhaps a reminder of a lovely afternoon with good friends.

As a side note, if you have the opportunity to attend one of Beach Plum Farm’s farm-to-table dinners, I highly recommend doing so. We had a fabulous experience at one many years back with our friends, Lou and Lisa R.

Lavender-Mint Iced Tea

 

Lavender-Mint Iced Tea

Tea with a floral twist
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Drink
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups water divided
  • 4 English Breakfast tea bags see Notes
  • 1 mint tea bag see Notes
  • 2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds
  • 1 tablespoon simple syrup or 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, optional see Notes
  • Garnish with a lemon slice and/or fresh mint sprig

Instructions
 

  • Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat.
  • Add 4 cups of boiling water to an 8-cup (1/2-gallon) Mason jar or large pitcher.
  • If your tea bags have strings, tie the 4 English Breakfast tea bags and mint tea bag together.
  • Add the 4 English Breakfast tea bags and steep for 2 minutes. (The mint tea bag can stay on the outside of the container.)
  • Add the mint tea bag and steep for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Remove all of the tea bags after they have steeped for 4 minutes. I prefer not to squeeze the tea bags but if you like your tea stronger, squeeze the remaining liquid from them.
  • Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 cup of boiling water to a heat-proof measuring cup. Add the culinary lavender, and steep for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the Mason jar or pitcher.
  • Add the remaining 3 cups of cold water and stir.
  • If using, add the simple syrup or granulated sugar, and stir. (Since the tea is still warm, the granulated sugar will easily dissolve.)
  • Refrigerate until well chilled, then serve over plenty of ice.
  • Garnish with a lemon slice and/or fresh mint sprig

Notes

  • I used decaffeinated Twinings English Breakfast tea (Darjeeling, Ceylon or a traditional black tea blend—your choice if it’s caffeinated or decaffeinated) and Bigelow Mint Medley, a blend of peppermint and spearmint and naturally decaffeinated.
  • SIMPLE SYRUP
    1 cup (8 ounces) water
    1 cup granulated sugar
    Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate it until needed. Makes 1-½ cups and keeps two months or longer in the refrigerator.
Lavender-Mint Iced Tea