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 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!
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