Drinks Recipe

Brew the tea

Place 4 black tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes for a full-bodied brew, or 3 minutes for a lighter tea.

Sweeten while hot

Remove and discard the tea bags, gently pressing to extract flavor. While tea is still hot, stir in 4 tablespoons granulated sugar until fully dissolved.

Add lemon and dilute

Stir in 1 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 cups cold water to the sweetened tea. Taste and adjust: add more water if too strong or more sugar if needed.

Chill and serve

Refrigerate the tea until cold, about 30–45 minutes, or serve immediately over a pitcher filled with 6 cups of ice. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves if using. Serve in tall glasses with ice.

Make ginger syrup

Combine 2 inches sliced fresh ginger and 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to extract flavor.

Sweeten and strain

Remove from heat, add 3 tablespoons honey, stirring until dissolved. Let cool 10 minutes, then strain out ginger slices through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Press gently on the ginger to extract remaining liquid; discard solids.

Finish sparkler

In a pitcher or individual glasses, combine the cooled ginger-honey syrup with 1/2 cup fresh lime juice and 3 cups chilled sparkling water. Add 4 cups of ice and gently stir to combine. Taste and add more honey or lime if desired.

Serve

Pour into glasses, garnish with lime slices and a sprig of mint if desired. Serve immediately so the sparkle remains.

Make cold brew concentrate

Combine 1 cup coarsely ground coffee with 4 cups cold filtered water in a large jar or pitcher. Stir to ensure grounds are fully saturated. Cover and steep in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 12–18 hours (longer for stronger concentrate).

Strain the concentrate

After steeping, strain the coffee through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean container. Repeat if needed to remove all sediment. You should have roughly 3–4 cups of cold brew concentrate.

Sweeten and assemble

Fill serving glasses with ice (about 4 cups across glasses). For each 1-cup serving, mix 1/4 cup vanilla simple syrup with 3/4 cup cold brew concentrate, then top with 1/4 cup milk or milk alternative. Stir gently to combine. Adjust sweetness or milk to taste.

Garnish and serve

Optionally sprinkle 1 teaspoon coffee grounds lightly on top for aroma (do not consume the grounds). Serve immediately.