Minted Iced Tea
This “house wine of the South” is literally drunk by the gallon during the spring and summer months here in Memphis. We add mint and simple syrup to ours, to give it the right amount of flavor and sweetness. It’s a refreshing “knock-back,” and can also be used as a mix for a cocktail (add a little rum or vodka).
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring the water to a simmer in a large pot. Remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags and mint. Allow the tea and mint to steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain the steeped tea into a large glass pitcher, and allow to cool completely. Stir in the simple syrup.
Step 2
Serve the tea over ice in a chilled Mason jar, with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel for garnish.
SIMPLE SYRUP
Step 3
Simple syrup is just that: simple and sweet. To make 1 cup, stir together (or shake in a bottle) 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. This one-to-one ratio ensures that your iced drinks stay cool and sweet. For a richer, sweeter version of simple syrup, you can do two parts sugar to one part boiling water, stirring just until dissolved, then setting aside to cool to room temperature. If you make up a batch, you can store it in your fridge in a well-sealed jar for up to 6 months.
