April 30, 2023

Celebrate Derby Day with Pure Leaf Tea

I'm excited for summer--iced tea season!  Not that I don't enjoy the drink all the time, but it's so much nicer downing some cold tea on a hot and sweaty day.

I prefer my tea unsweetened, and if you share my taste preference, you'll know how hard it is to find an unsweetened tea in a bottle.  There are a few pricey brands, but often I just end up making my own and taking it with me.

When I heard about Lipton's new Pure Leaf Tea, I was eager to try it.  Especially that they offer "unsweetened" as one of the varieties.
Mom Central Consulting hooked me up with a few samples.  Check out the box it arrived in.
Made with fresh-brewed tea and natural ingredients ( no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup), Pure Leaf teas are created by Master tea blenders who personally hand-select the teas from around the globe.
Tea is sourced under the guidance of three pillars: environmental, social and economic. Even the Pure Leaf packaging has environmental advantages; its square shape is lightweight and allows for more bottles to be packed onto a pallet, saving on fuel costs for transport.

With the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, May 5th, I thought I'd make a drink based on a recipe from Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge, called the Ginger Tulep, which uses mint, ginger and Pure Leaf tea.
LEMON GINGER "TULEP"
Makes one serving
3 tablespoons ginger simple syrup (recipe below) 
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish 
Ice 
1 cup Lemon Pure Leaf Iced Tea
Cold club soda 
Candied ginger, for garnish
In an old fashioned glass, muddle ginger simple syrup with mint leaves. Add ice and Lemon Pure Leaf Iced Tea; stir well. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with a slice of candied ginger and a sprig of mint.

To make a cocktail: Add 1.5 ounces overproof Kentucky bourbon before adding the tea.
Developed by: Gail Simmons, judge on BRAVO's "Top Chef" and Food & Wine magazine contributor

GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup fresh ginger, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 1/2 cups water
In a saucepan, combine the ginger, sugar, and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and then set aside to cool. Strain the syrup and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

I first created the simple syrup using water, sugar and ginger slices. 

In a glass, I muddled some mint leaves from my garden with a pinch of sugar, which helps macerate the mint and release its oils. 
Then I added ice, a bit of the ginger syrup, and the Pure Leaf Lemon tea.  It was fantastic!  I chose not to add the club soda, as I didn't have any on hand, and the Tulep was still tasty.
A perfect blend of tea, mint and ginger.  Add a sprig of fresh mint and chill out on your porch, or if you're lucky, in Kentucky.
You can find more Pure Leaf Tea recipes via their Facebook page.  Just what your summer needs!
Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lipton Pure Leaf. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

1 comments:

  1. I'm all for the natural options (no HFCS, artificial flavors, colors, etc), so this sounds quite lovely!

    I'm not a huge fan of iced tea, but I'm quite curious to try this out :)

    ReplyDelete

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