Flavored Teas: Lemony Spiked Sweet Tea

Despite the fact that it is currently in the low-60's, rainy and windy; just a few days ago the temperature almost reached 90 and the sun was out and shinning.  It was starting to feel like spring, which in Texas does not get to stick around very long.  Usually we go from winter, to a month of so of spring, and then to about six months of summer.  Needless to say, when spring starts to arrive, everyone looks forward to it.

After the one spring-like day last week, the temperature has gone back to being cold, at least for Texans it cold... but during that one warm day, while I wore a short sleeve shirt (no jacket) and a pair of flats (no socks having to keep my toes warm), I started to daydream about warmer weather.

One of my favorite things about spring and summer are the drinks that people only seem to make when the weather is warm; and being from the South, that drink is usually sweet tea.  While I love sweet tea just as much as the next Texas girl, I thought that the first "spring" day of the year deserved something a little more interesting.

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart's 60 Days of Summer.

Lemony Spiked Sweet Iced Tea

Ingredients

7 cups water

6 orange and spice tea bags

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups lemon juice

1 cup Bacardi rum

Fresh mint sprigs, optional

Directions

Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the tea bags. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and allow the tea bags to steep for 5 minutes.

Remove and discard the tea bags. Add the sugar to the saucepan and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining 3 cups water and stir to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a pitcher... (make sure you use a funnel and do this over the sink or something, because as you can see, it can make a pretty big mess)

...and add the lemon juice and rum.

In a glass: add ice cubes, a few mint leaves and then pour or ladle the tea over top.

Cheers!  Here's to spring!

**Note: if you are not a fan of orange, you can always substitute other fruity flavors that go good with lemon, such as raspberry or strawberry tea!