I love flavored iced tea! If you have oranges, maybe use a thin slice as a garnish.

I love hot Constant Comment tea when i am not feeling well.. but sorry, I do NOT like it in iced tea. The spicing is wrong imo.

I would use regular orange pekoe .. or if you want something a little different, I love Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage or Ginger Peach for iced tea.

I strongly dislike CC for Iced tea. Cold and spice do not mix with me; it is meant to be served hot.

PS what a lovely day for lunch!

I agree that CC isn't for cold iced tea. I'd probably make plain black tea and serve with fruit slices on the glass.

Sorry, I missed that your luncheon is today. If you want to work with what you have, maybe infuse your water with fruit or cucumber or mint?

Or do you have lemons for lemonade?

IME soft drinks aren't all that popular with adults anymore.

Enjoy!

Sorry, no the luncheon is tomorrow. Today is beautiful. Tomorrow it rains. Rainy Annie strikes again!!

Hmmm....that's too many "No" already. I do have passion fruit tea and elderberry tea...maybe better? I could always make an iced CC for myself and see if I like it...

Another person who only likes CC hot, sorry. My favorite iced tea is 50/50 black jasmine and green.

Another thought for your luncheon, you must have mint in your yard. Mint and orange slices make lovely infusion.

I like Tazo's "Zen" for iced tea.

I'll use any tea for iced tea really, except CC, which I can't stand iced or hot. I do love the smell of it though. :)

I love Passion Fruit tea.

Yes to passionfruit iced tea

I second the suggestion to make plain tea and serve with fruit on the side - and sprigs of mint, if available.

FWIW, I figured out how to make perfectly clear iced tea after a bit of trial and error, and after I started a topic about it on the cooking forum sometime back: simply put the teabags - or loose tea - in a large glass container and cover with cold water then refrigerate overnight or longer for beautifully clear tea every time.

Me three.. love passionfruit tea.

I also like local's suggestion of an orange mint water infusion (or tea, for that matter).

I had no idea what Constant Comment was; had to look it up. I have used passion fruit herbal tea to flavor iced tea. My go-to iced tea base is half Lady Gray, half Gunpowder Green.

carolb, what proportion of water to tea bags do you do? I can certainly do an overnight tonight....

I agree with Carol, this is how we always make it. I used to make sun tea but realized you dont need the sun.

Our standard is to put 7 tea bags in this container,keeping the strings out and held down by the cap. Put in the fridge and it is done overnight.

I love CC hot or cold, but I see that I am in the minority. I like root beer and ginger ale and drink them a lot which is maybe why I like CC.

Sorry, I have no mint. Maybe when I get more landscaping done, but I've stayed away from it as it can be very aggressive. I need a spot for it where I won't mind it spreading.

Don't forget to plant Bergamot, also called Bee Balm for hot Earl Grey tea. The lavender color is easiest to grow. 🫖

nicole, I believe the bergamot used for Earl Grey is the oil pressed from the rind of a citrus fruit, not bee balm.

I don’t care for heavily flavored iced teas but it’s easy to make it and flavor it with a mix of regular and flavored tea bags so as to not overpower the flavoring. Fresh lemons are my favorite and maybe a sprig of mint.

Annie, I grow mint in a pot, and I overwinter under the house. I don't want it to overtake a flower bed so this has worked for me.

If it's a rainy day maybe hot tea is what you want anyway....

Hot tea is fine for after a meal, but for snacks before, I usually think of cold not hot drinks.

The Earl Grey package ingredient list : black tea and Bergamont. I only know what I'm reading...and what I've steeped out of my garden.... 🫖 I prefer to remain stupid...🤪 and uncomplicate it...

I made the refrigerator version with passion fruit. Took a sip...it's ok...needs some sugar and lemon, but I'll let the individuals add their own to taste. Thanks all for your inputs and suggestions!

Indeed, the herb bergamot isn't the same as the bergamot used for Earl Grey. They don't have the same flavor. It's the bergamot orange that's used to flavor Earl Grey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange

And sorry I didn't see your question until now, Annie. I make my own tea kind of weak - 3 bags per quart of purified water, but I think 4 bags (or tsp.) would be more traditional.

Mtn, I emailed you.

Too late for Annie’s luncheon, but I prefer an Arnold Palmer, 1/2 iced tea (ordinary Lipton’s) and 1/2 lemonade.

My family is a big fan of AP. However, i'd rather not drink calories and I insist on homemade fresh lemonade (so much of it tastes like cleaning fluid to me) which is a PITA to make.

We make either Red Rose decaf or an herbal tea like Red Zinger regularly all summer. Both of those we drink without anything added. IMHO if your iced tea needs sugar you chose the wrong tea!

Mtn, I agree with you about most packaged lemonades. Try Simply Lemonade Lite, usually in the dairy section. I think it tastes like fresh lemonade and it is fairly low in calories.

Big flavored, unsweetened seltzer drinkers here as well - I prefer it to plain water.

My fave, 35 cal a can, and such pretty cans! With a foil top.

Since Annie is mid-lunch, I don't feel bad asking a question.

I have a firm rule to stop coffee at noon-- it helps with my tendency to have insomnia. However, i drink a LOT of iced tea in the spring/summer.. all caffeinated which defeats the purpose of stopping coffee at noon.

Other than the Red Zinger Mtn mentioned above (not a fan), are there other herbal teas you recommend for iced tea?

I really like icy cold Hint water too.. pineapple is my fav but there are only a few i dont like.

I have not been able to learn to like flavored sparkling waters. DD keeps them at her house. I bought La Croix Grapefruit to have on hand for guests, but I just can’t get into it.

I really do not care for the hard seltzers. I’d rather have a small glass of Prosecco than a larger can of hard seltzer.

I like flavored water. Our hotel in Hawaii kept a glass urn of water with chunks of pineapple and mint leaves floating in it. It was delicious! The spa where I get pedicures always has some interesting flavored water in a glass urn.

I'm not a fan of ice tea in any flavor. Flavored water is fine, plain water is a safe bet. Really, just plain water, ideally room temp.

Funky - I live on this almost all year, after lunch and throughout the day. I actually brew it simply by boiling a pot of water on the stove, and steep 5 bags for a couple of hours. I drink it with a small amount of flavored lemonade - peach just now. Very refreshing. I can drink it straight too, or add mint to the brew. It's the decaf that makes it work for me for all day imbibing. The cost per cup is much better than all the premade options.

Thanks, Talaveran! I make my iced tea almost the same way-- only i add just water and ice after it has cooled down. I do like regular old tea but sometimes i want something different. I have been on a raspberry/blackberry kick lately-- maybe I will just add some to the pitcher.

I cringe at the thought of decaffeinated but it's a necessity.

Yes, Funky, I get the decaf thing, which is why I do the stovetop brew. Lipton's blend is pretty good, even as decaf. But yes, when I've served it, I tell people: it's nothing - no sweetness no kick /so boring! But I also brew it with lavender or any herbal tea to mix it up. That's how I stay exciting (self-snark).

Glad your beverage proved to be a success. We have mint growing in a pot on the patio and it hasn't escaped yet.

We drink decaf iced tea all year and when on sale i buy a case or two. We use Tetley Classic Decaf Teabags. I think decaf tends to be a little weaker than regular tea so we add a few extra bags. Like Funky i stop coffee in the morning but I can safely drink decaf tea all day and evening without fear of the caffeine keeping me awake.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/7197732156890993094?prds=oid:10351255300981034943&sts=12&hl=en&gl=US&lsf=seller:337409741,store:135974645999916317,s:l&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizp4Gn9cv3AhVvgnIEHSAfAYQQhZMHegQICBAY

I must be the only person on the face of the earth who cannot grow mint. I’ve tried growing it in the ground and in a pot. I don’t know if I’m watering too much or not enough but whatever I’m doing, it dies. I have to beg it off friends who are more horticulturally successful than I.

Mint is typically a weed -- even comes back after freezing most winters (since I know your climate is similar to mine). I have grown it in the ground but now try to keep it in pots, nothing special as far as soil or fertilizer. It isn't demanding. It likes water but doesn't want to stay wet. Maybe it is too much water? It likes full sun and will wilt to let you know if it is too dry, so you can keep an eye on it and let it start to whine a little before giving it a good drink.

Also -- do you have cats in the area? Catnip is in the mint family and depending on the variety of mint, a cat might be enjoying it? We were at a nursery not long ago where we found one of the resident cats sleeping on the tray of very smooshed catnip. Reminded me of how I could never grow catnip when we had cats -- it was probably eaten or rolled in. Or maybe that's just one member of the mint family I can't grow?

I googled and found that parsley and chamomile should not be planted near mint, so if you have mint in an herb bed with those, it could be interfering. Didn't know that, but I have a sprig that rooted off a pot in my herb bed. I have watched it to see if it was going to take over and it hasn't. Maybe that's why?

Glad passion fruit tea was a success. Another easy and refreshing iced tea is simply a glass of iced tea with a splash of mango nectar. I will do that for a change in the summer. I am also a sparkling water person - as long as it isn't sweetened or La Croix Key Lime. That one is AWFUL!

Bbstx, have you tried Sparkling Ice, which is a flavored sparkling water? It comes in many flavors and so good in the summer. I don't think grapefruit would be a good flavor though.

Mtn, I like San Pellegrino but it's sooo strong! It takes a few sips to get used to.

Other than the Red Zinger Mtn mentioned above (not a fan), are there other herbal teas you recommend for iced tea?

Funky, I think you really need to experiment.

We actually buy a local blend sometimes, called "Ruby Slippers." We also like Republic of Tea's Hibiscus. But I think all (most?) red herbal tea has hibiscus, and so if you don;t like RZ you may not like the others. RZ tends to veer toward Koolaid and IME the others are more subtle .

Republic of Tea has several options of Ice Tea sachets. https://www.republicoftea.com/hibiscus-sangria-large-iced-tea-pouches/p/v20077/

So does Harney & Son

https://www.harney.com/products/fresh-brew-iced-tea-sampler?variant=32391916159047&gclid=CjwKCAjwjtOTBhAvEiwASG4bCANcmdad-gZcpaxI-bHVbSk1PqgIDkVzI9DuY6Kj2xojelJXJ6WMmRoC-IgQAvD_BwE

Lastly, we used to have a David's Tea near us but I think they are only online now. They have a couple of samplers you could look in to:

https://www.davidstea.com/us_en/tea/shop-all/iced-tea/fruity-iced-tea-sharing-sampler/961790US01VAR0075877.html?cgid=bestselling-iced-teas#start=1

Thanks, Mtn.. I have experimented with black and green teas for iced tea-- just haven't experimented with the herbals for iced tea. Now I should also thank you for my overflowing shopping carts! LOL

Hibiscus is a sharp, tangy taste for me-- I think i may be some kind of tangy/tart supertaster. I love lemon and citrus but don't tend to like other things with a tangy or sour taste.

So oh, have I been on an internet journey this morning! First, I tracked down a tea I used to get at a coffee shop when i lived in another town. It's called Midsummer Night's Dream and i was hoping it was decaf-- it's not, darn it. (beware, David's Tea has a blend with the same name but it is different). It has a blend of black and green teas but what is key is it has pineapple, papaya, strawberry and sunflower petals. Delicious-- and maybe even more koolaid-like than your RZ?

My other iced tea favorites are from Republic of Tea (love their round sachets) and also fruity-- Blackberry Sage is my current fav ... so I am looking to the fruitier herbal blends. Also adding some white tea options-- usually too "light" for me but they are much lower in caffeine than the green or black tea counterparts.

For non-tea drinks-- I also added a few Belvoir elderflower lemonades to my wegmans order. I am already stocked up on Hint Water.

Oakley, Glad you enjoy the Sparkling Ice drinks but i do NOT like sweet water-- and i especially dislike artificially sweet water. I don't know why as i can drink soda and iced tea with stevia or fake sugar but i can't abide it in water. Have you tried Hint water? I find them so refreshing especially after gardening or exercise.

FWIW, I can't do caffeine after noonday or I won't sleep that night, so I make iced tea with decaf - it comes in both green and black. I make 1 quart tea with 2 bags TJ's decaf green tea and 1 bag of a flavorful decaf/herbal tea like hibiscus, mint, etc.

Right now I'm using TJ's Ginger/Turmeric.

I suffer a lot of insomnia so the vast majority of the tea I buy is decaf. I've never noticed a difference in flavor in either coffee or tea. Caffeine has no flavor.

Republic of Tea's Star Wars The Mandalorian Blueberry Bounty Iced Tea is good. I bought it for my son's GF both because of the Mandalorian name and the blueberry/hibiscus and had to order more. I like it straight or 50/50 with plain iced tea.