hemlock, hibiscus, hatters. . . (hot weather beverages survey)

[bronze_ribbons]

Just opened a note from Socrates (an old comrade in crime), asking me to ask y'all to share your collective opinions on ways to prepare "the house wine of the South":

I have a couple but want other ideas to fight off the heat.  And ixnay on those blasted Mrs. Tea machines (sisters of Mr. Coffee).  They make wretched tea that makes me want to run north and just open up a can of something.

And of course, any recipe that does NOT include REAL sugar in it isn't really iced tea.

 I hadn't even heard of a Mrs. Tea machine until he mentioned it. I do, however, frequently resort to Lipton decaf granules. I never claimed to be pure.

Anyhow, your opinions and suggestions would be much appreciated (the lad doesn't have a blog, but checks this one regularly). If your recipe doesn't include sugar, some of us want to see it anyway. (Simple syrup is a staple as far as I'm concerned.)

Also, 'tis the season for sangria, so feel free to chime in if you've got a version you particularly enjoy. Thanks bunches!

Comments

[ky-expatriate.livejournal.com]

My mother -- who's from New York, but has probably lived in the South long enough to qualify as a Southerner -- used to take a big glass jug, dangle several Lipton teabags in it, and leave it in the backyard in the sun until it was appropriately tea-colored. She added sugar to taste later, which may make it unsouthern given that it doesn't involve simple syrup.... But Mrs. Tea, ugh!

[mechaieh.livejournal.com]

I think my first encounter with sun tea was actually in Michigan. My mom regards all soft and caffeinated drinks with suspicion and disdain (granted, elle a raison), so it wasn't until college that I had access to them on a regular basis.

The entire Mrs. Tea concept just flummoxes me. I mean, if one doesn't have access to a proper stove in the first place, one probably doesn't have room for a whole lot of single-purpose gadgets, so wouldn't one be better served by a generic hot-water pot or settling for microwaved H20?

(The BYM's very first gift to me was a teakettle. The note said something about it being more efficient than the saucepan I'd been using (to heat up the hot chocolate I used to offer him after walking me home).)

Socrates speaks

[(Anonymous)]

Okay y'all, I am not about to go buy Simple Syrup, which I thought was something they only had at Baskin-Robbins (it's the syrup you use to make a milkshake that tastes like that flavor -- Butter Pecan, for example -- when there is no corresponding syrup like chocolate or vanilla on hand). I didn't know people in the real world used it as my mama and my granny both use/used SUGAR. I do appreciate the ideas though. Maybe I'll buy it, but since I have to SNEAK to be allowed to use the kitchen anyway (a fire or two and you just get banned. Plus I had to get stitches once from cutting apart chocolate) . . .

I still want a foolproof way to make it with sugar if anyone has one. I don't mind Lipton bags (I actually like the Tetley ones best, but . . . ). Help me help me!

Re: Socrates speaks

[mechaieh.livejournal.com]

Dude, boil or boil not. There is no buy.

Seriously -- the "simple syrup" that is being spoken of here is not a brand. It is simply plain white sugar (*not* powdered or confectionary) boiled in plain water until it dissolves. I forget the exact amounts but can post them later when I get home and check my copy of How to Cook Everything.

You stick it in any old jar and keep it in the fridge, and it lets you sweeten already-cold tea without all the grains or goop sinking to the bottom. (Also commonly used to sweeten cocktails. I got introduced to it during a mint julep session, in fact, although my notion of a good julep remains 1 part bourbon, wave the mint leaves over it, hold the sugar.)

The other route (and what I normally do) is to blend the sugar with the ice tea granules before pouring boiling hot water over all of it and then chilling the lot. The core issue is that sugar dissolves far better in hot water than cold, so if you're brewing with bags, I'm guessing you should either premix the sugar with the hot water or sweet-talk your honey into making you syrup. ;-)

[qe2.livejournal.com]

I make tea concentrate and chill it, which allows drinkers to dilute and sweeten at will. I don't have the recipe in front of me; if memory serves, it's something like 2 1/4 cups of water to about five teabags. I like to use Red Zinger or Irish Breakfast, but plain old Lipton's works, too.

If I were simple syruping - which it sounds like I probably should be - I'd incline towards using brown sugar. Is that heretical, do you think?

[mechaieh.livejournal.com]

I'm all about encouraging heresy as long as it's adequately informed. Hence the UU preaching gig, amongst other mayhem-inciting pursuits. ;-)

WRT the brown sugar, I know it behaves somewhat differently than the white stuff, but I'd have to dig/experiment to figure out how/whether it'd keep as syrup. I'm somewhat illogical on how I prefer my tea (iced = sweet, hot = plain and black -- except in Chinese restaurants), and not drinking much of it at all right now (screwed-up sleep patterns = functional brain chemistry currently maintained with Dr. Pepper and single-malt Scotch (*not* together! the horror!), so any experimentation on this end will likely take place later than sooner...

[swooop.livejournal.com]

WRT the brown sugar, I know it behaves somewhat differently than the white stuff, but I'd have to dig/experiment to figure out how/whether it'd keep as syrup

Brown sugar won't work in a simple syrup as far as I know; the molasses makes it behave in an odd way and, IMO, it tastes really funny.

Of course, I have no taste ;-)

[swooop.livejournal.com]

As you know, I'm so not southern that the mere idea of using Swooop+iced tea in the same sentence will likely cause hives. However. 8 cups cold water and 8 tea bags. Boil until very dark. Remove tea bags & squeeze out the bags for all the tea goodness trapped therein. I then add 1 cup of simple syrup (more if you want it sweeter, natch), 2 more cups of cold water (or more if you like a weaker tea)and stick it in the fridge. I don't put it over ice immediately because it dilutes it. And speaking of heretical, my family likes lemon in theirs too, so I usually add the juice of two of them.

[mechaieh.livejournal.com]

As you know, I'm so not southern that the mere idea of using Swooop+iced tea in the same sentence will likely cause hives.

Heh. Actually, I'm remembering that trip to Boston two summers ago and how wicked hot it was -- it felt like I was wringing gallons of sweat out of my hair and clothes. . .