By Sarah Fertsch
Fun drinks bring a little pep into any occasion, whether you’re at work, having friends over, or spending an afternoon on the beach. When you’re looking for low-cost, refreshing and unique ideas, try making your own iced tea and kombucha! Experiment with fruity flavors and homegrown herbs, and impress your guests with your own tasty batch!
Making Your Own Iced Tea
Brewing homemade iced tea is easy, but it’s important to leave time for the leaves to seep. Depending on how much iced tea you make, you’ll want to leave the bags in for approximately three hours per liter of water.
Speaking of leaves, the specific tea you use plays an important role in your iced tea. You can pick up some large, iced-tea-designated bags from the grocery store, and they will usually come in flavors like peach and black tea. For an environmentally friendly alternative, pick up loose-leaf tea from your local farmer’s market and seep the leaves using homemade cheese cloth bags. Loose leaf tea is usually more floral and herbal in flavor.
Once you’ve got your leaves prepared, consider adding additional ingredients to enhance the flavor. Add some mashed blueberries or strawberries to add some fruity tartness. Pour in some sugar or honey to sweeten your batch. Add spices like cinnamon and cardamom for an earthy, spicy twist. Get creative and start seeping!
Once you’ve let your tea sit for a few hours (depending on size of your batch), strain your tea (especially if you added additional flavor components) and pour over ice. Now you’re ready to serve!
Making Your Own Kombucha
For those of you who don’t know, kombucha is a fermented tea that is super flavorful and healthy for your digestive tract. It’s refreshing, tangy and popular. Pick up some kombucha at your grocery store and try it, and if you love it, make some homemade!
First, you need to acquire a SCOBY. This is the major ingredient containing bacteria that will ferment your kombucha. You can get a SCOBY from a friend, farmer’s market, or even online! It’s great for your gut, and very healthy!
You’ll wanna start with some brewed iced tea – around 1 to 2 cups – and add a piece of your SCOBY. Add 1 cup of sugar (for the bacteria to eat and then produce fermented alcohol) and 1 cup of water.
Boil the mixture for five minutes, and let it rest for ten minutes. Pour mixture into sealed glass bottles. Don’t fill the bottles all the way, because your kombucha needs to breathe! Let it sit between 7 and 21 days in 75-85 degree temperature, and once its fermented, add flavor! We recommend ingredients such as watermelon juice, mint, lemon juice, agave syrup, and honey!
Remember, the longer you’re kombucha ferments, the more acidic it will taste. The ph level should be between 2.5 and 3.5, so make sure to test after about a week of fermenting. Add iced tea to the fermented mixture to lighten the vinegar flavor and break up your SCOBY. Once you have a hefty SCOBY, you can make even more kombucha!
Making your own drinks adds a little excitement into a summer routine, and your friends will be wowed by your creativity! Start seeping, and enjoy!
