To help the nation cool off this summer, Bird & Blend has launched a creative range of infusions perfect for iced tea and cold brew, designed to be served chilled.
Leading the way in British tea innovation since 2013, Bird & Blend offers the country’s largest range of independently made creative tea concoctions, blended from a wide range of ingredients including herbs, flowers, fruits, caramels and chocolates. The brand’s latest tea creations (from £3.20) are designed to be served cold, making them ideal for the summer months.
Bird & Blend’s Strawberry Lemonade comes filled with real strawberry chunks, tangy lime leaves and zesty orange peel. It’s easy to see why this fantastically fruity infusion is a best-seller and an award-winner!
The Blue Raspberry is a blend of Chinese Sencha green tea, freeze-dried raspberry pieces and butterfly blue pea flowers, which magically turns the cuppa naturally bright blue. Add a squeeze of lemon to transform this into a mystical unicorn brew.
Bird & Blend’s Peach Soda is a mouth-watering, fruity combo filled with apple pieces, hibiscus, cardamom, rose petals, freeze-dried peach and orange peel, making it perfect as a cocktail base – talk about a summer romance! Then, for those looking to shake things up at home, the brand’s Iced Key Lime Pie is a decadent dessert in a glass. As well as creating each and every one of its tea infusions, the experts at Bird & Blend know just how to whip up the ultimate ice-cold beverage when the weather gets sizzling, and have created a wealth of recipes to help Brits master the art of the perfect home cuppa – whether that be shaken and poured over ice or steep in cold water for a mellow and refreshing flavour.
Brewing an iced tea is easy: simply add a few scoops of your chosen Bird & Blend tea to boiling hot water and leave it to steep for a few minutes before chilling in the fridge. Then, pour over ice and enjoy in the sunshine. To create the ultimate cold brew, steep your chosen tea in cold water for 4 to 6 hours. This will result in fewer tannins and a delicate flavour.
If you’re looking to try a ‘hip’ cold brew, opt for one of Bird & Blend’s stylish and innovative Cold Brew Tea Bottles (from £22), which come with a built-in infuser for quick and easy blending. As for fan favourites, there’s an iced brew flavour to suit all tastes:
Bird & Blend’s Cool Creations:
Peach Soda Margarita
This summer, customers have been loving Bird & Blend’s Peach Soda tea. With sweet peach and delicate rose, this really is the ultimate iced tea – so why not turn it into a mouth-watering cocktail, fit for any occasion?
What you will need:
3 Tsp Peach Soda tea
A sprinkle of sugar
A sprinkle of salt
1/4 of a lime
A dash of rose water
25ml tequila
25ml peach gin (or any peach liquor)
Optional: If you’d rather make this a mocktail, replace the alcohol with 50ml of peach juice
What to do:
- Brew your Peach Soda tea in 200ml of boiling water and steep for 4 mins.
- Freeze 150ml of your concentrated tea in an ice cube tray and reserve the remaining 50ml.
- Once your ice is set, sprinkle a little bit of sugar and a little bit of salt onto a shallow dish. Run a little piece of lime around the edge of a rocks glass and dip the rim in the sugar and salt mixture.
- Into a cocktail shaker, add about 6 of your tea infused ice cubes, your remaining 50ml of tea concentrate, a dash of rose water, a big squeeze of fresh lime juice and your tequila. Shake it all up!
- Pour your shot of gin (or peach liquor) into your rimmed glass and top with the full contents of your cocktail shaker.
- Stir the cocktail together, garnish with a slice of lime and enjoy in the sunshine!
Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea
A must-have for summer, Bird & Blend’s Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea is made from loose Strawberry Lemonade tea and makes for a delicious and refreshing sparkling drink, perfect for the whole family. For an extra special touch, serve in champagne flutes or make a pitcher for your summer party.
What you will need:
8 tps Strawberry Lemonade tea
900ml boiling water
Sparkling water
2 lemons
Strawberries
Ice
What to do:
- Brew your Strawberry Lemonade tea for at least four minutes. Sweeten with sugar or honey if desired.
- Strain and place in the fridge to cool. Alternatively, you can put the steeping tea in the fridge overnight for an extra strong taste.
- When ready to serve, pour 1/2 tea, 1/2 sparkling water over a glass full of ice and garnish with slices of lemon and strawberries.
- You can also make this a tipsy cocktail by adding 50ml of vodka or gin.
- Stir well and enjoy!
Blue Raspberry Unicorn Fizz
Bird & Blend’s Unicorn Fizz is made with its best-selling Blue Raspberry tea, which magically (and naturally) changes colour. The Blue Raspberry tea has been obsessed over since it was first brought back – especially as one of Bird & Blend’s in-store drinks specials – and now you can recreate this iconic iced tea at home. You’re welcome!
What you will need:
3 Tsp Blue Raspberry tea
150ml 80° water
Vanilla essence
Bird & Blend’s Raw Honey
Ice
Sparkling water
Fresh lemon
Cocktail shaker (optional)
What to do:
- Start off by brewing your Blue Raspberry tea in 150ml of 80° water for 3 minutes. You can easily achieve this by adding 1/5 of cold water first to 4/5 of boiling water (no need for any fancy technical kettles!).
- Leave to cool in the fridge if you wish. At Bird & Blend HQ, we cold brew our teas overnight to make concentrates: simply add the tea to cold water and steep overnight. It’s as easy as that!
- Pour your brewed tea into your cocktail shaker and add a cup of ice. Add a few drops of vanilla essence, a teaspoon of honey and shake. If you don’t have a shaker, simply add the tea to a glass of ice.
- Pour into your glass, top up with sparkling water and give it a good stir.
- Squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon into your drink and watch the tea magically change colour!
Iced Key Lime Pie
Bird & Blend’s Key Lime Pie Iced Tea went down a treat in its Borough Store during the Tea Election! This tea is so refreshing and zesty, it’s perfect for anyone. It’s also naturally caffeine-free, so can be enjoyed by all!
What you will need:
3 tsp Key Lime Pie tea
150ml boiling water
100ml apple juice
Fresh lime
Ice
Lemonade
Cocktail shaker (optional)
What to do:
- Start by brewing your Key Lime Pie tea in 150ml of boiling water for 4 minutes.
- Leave to cool in the fridge or steep overnight for a stronger flavour.
- Pour your brewed tea into your cocktail shaker and add a cup of ice with 100ml of apple juice and 2 wedges of lime. Squeeze the juice into the tea before putting the wedges in, then shake!
- If you don’t have a shaker, don’t worry you can simply add the tea to a glass of ice.
- Pour into your glass, top up with lemonade and give it a good stir!
For more information visit: birdandblendtea.com
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