Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild

Tea-related education and events, the enjoyment of the beverage and the culture of tea

Apr 27

Company’s Coming – Quick Summer Recipes For Serving Great Tea (Or a warm spring day)

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

It seems like “fast” never quite seems “fast enough” when guests show up on your doorstep.  Summer and friends go hand in hand and when it comes to summer drink recipes, any tea lover will tell you that nothing ever seems to go as quickly as we want or expect. (like the time you tried to make iced tea in a hurry and ended up with a watered down mess.)  Well, let me do my part to help you speed things up with two summer tea recipes that help you serve your guests as fast as possible (especially if you’re strapped for time).

Recipes #1: Smoothies Work Well if Serving 2-4 Guests

Tea smoothies are loved by all ages and combine cool refreshing ingredients with speed.  I suggest keeping a few ingredients in the freezer to make this process even easier.

1 Cup Greek Yogurt (Vanilla or Plain)
1 Cup Iced Tea
1 Cup Frozen Fruit – Your Choice (must be frozen in order for this recipe to work!)

This is a great mix and match basic recipe.  Toss in stevia or honey and sweeten to taste.  Blend to the consistency that says “summer” and serve with a fresh wedge of fruit on the glass.  This recipe serves 2-3 people and takes only moments to prepare.

Recipes #2: Punches Work Well For Group Gatherings

This recipes is critical to your success if you are planning a reunion or bbq gathering.  Grab a big punch bowl or glass beverage dispenser and create this simple cool drink.

Toss in a pitcher of strong iced tea (sweetened works best) and mix with one bottle of citrus based soda.  Add some fresh lemons and limes and a cup or two of orange juice to taste (can be a frozen concentrate.)  This quick and easy punch offers refreshment for a crowd in a hurry.

Both of these recipes put some entertainment power in every tea lover’s corner. But don’t forget, there’s a lot more simple ways to use tea this summer, so don’t let this article be the end of your journey. Instead, let it be the beginning of your quest for more knowledge.

By the way, our shop offers a fantastic collection of teas perfect for summer entertaining.  Visit us online at : http://www.Unicornwineguild.com or in person at our shop in Belpre, Ohio.

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Jun 27

Tea Punch

by teaattheunicornwineguildllc

This is a refreshing tea punch that we developed the latter part of the week of our Grand Opening. We found it refreshing, easy to prepare and not as syrupy sweet as some punches.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ready to serve in 4 hours

SERVINGS: 14 – 36 (depending on size of glass and whether ginger ale is used.)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar
2 cups strong brewed black tea
4 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
5 cups prepared lemonade
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled, (optional)
DIRECTIONS

Prepare tea. (I use TehKu’s “My Irish Blend.” To make a strong tea double the amount of tea leaves or bags normally brewed in the 2 cups of water. Do not increase the brewing time or it will be bitter.)
In a large pitcher, combine sugar and hot tea, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the orange juice, pineapple juice and lemonade. Chill for 4 hours. (If you don’t have a pitcher big enough, use two pitchers and mix by pouring a portion of the mixture back and forth between the pitchers.)
When serving, pour chilled mixture into a punch bowl and stir in ginger ale. (The punch tastes fine without the ginger ale, but the ginger ale adds a bit of “sparkle” to the punch. Again, if your punch bowl isn’t big enough for the entire amount, add a portion of punch to the bowl leaving room for an equal portion of ginger ale.)
Serving ideas:

Make an ice ring incorporating fruits (raspberries, strawberries, oranges sections, pineapple bits in any combination).

Float fruit in the punch bowl.

Garnish with mint leaves.

Garnish with fruit picks

Pour ½ cup prepared mixture into an iced beverage glass and add ginger ale to fill.

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