Tea Cranberry Beverage Blend (Printable)

A chilled blend of tart cranberry and smooth black tea with a touch of natural sweetness.

# What You Need:

→ Tea

01 - 4 cups water
02 - 4 black tea bags or 4 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea

→ Cranberry Mixture

03 - 1 cup unsweetened 100% cranberry juice
04 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, adjusted to taste
05 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Garnish (optional)

06 - Fresh cranberries or lemon slices
07 - Ice cubes
08 - Fresh mint leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, add tea bags, steep for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove tea bags and let cool slightly.
02 - In a large pitcher, combine cranberry juice, honey or maple syrup, and lemon juice; stir thoroughly to dissolve sweetener.
03 - Pour warm tea into the cranberry mixture and stir to blend flavors evenly.
04 - Refrigerate the combined mixture until well chilled, about 1 hour.
05 - Serve over ice, garnished with fresh cranberries, lemon slices, or mint leaves as desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 15 minutes, yet tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
  • The tartness means you can use less sweetener than you'd expect and still feel satisfied.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like a health compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step before chilling, or your ice will dilute everything as it melts too quickly.
  • The tartness of cranberry juice varies wildly between brands, so always taste before deciding on sweetness.
03 -
  • Brew your tea a bit stronger than you normally would for drinking straight, since the cranberry juice will dilute it slightly and you want to taste the tea, not just the sweet.
  • Keep a batch in the fridge at all times during warm months, and you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly instead of less interesting options.

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