Description
Refreshing Long Beach Iced Tea with hibiscus, black tea, citrus, and cranberry juice. Perfect for a hot day!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups water, divided
- 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 black tea bags
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 1 lime, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (optional, for extra tartness and color)
- Ice cubes, for serving
- Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
- Long Beach Cranberry Juice (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Remove from heat and add the dried hibiscus flowers. Stir gently to submerge.
- Cover and steep for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (lined with cheesecloth if available) into a heat-resistant pitcher or bowl. Discard the spent hibiscus flowers.
- While still warm, add sugar and honey. Stir until dissolved. Adjust sweetness to taste.
- Let cool to room temperature (refrigerate to speed up).
- In a separate saucepan or kettle, bring the remaining 4 cups of water to a boil.
- Pour boiling water over tea bags in a heat-resistant pitcher or bowl. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove tea bags and discard.
- Let cool to room temperature (refrigerate to speed up).
- In a large pitcher, combine cooled hibiscus tea concentrate, cooled black tea, orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, and cranberries (if using).
- Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Fill tall glasses with ice cubes.
- Pour infused tea mixture over ice, filling each glass about two-thirds full.
- Top with Long Beach Cranberry Juice, adjusting to taste.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with fresh mint, citrus slices, and cranberries (if desired).
- Serve Immediately: Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust sweetness to your liking.
- Use different teas (green, white, herbal) if desired, adjusting steeping time accordingly.
- Add other fruits like raspberries, strawberries, or peaches.
- Make it sparkling with sparkling water or club soda.
- Make the hibiscus tea concentrate and black tea ahead of time (up to 3 days).
- Spice it up with cinnamon or cloves during hibiscus steeping.
- Make hibiscus or cranberry simple syrup for a more intense flavor.
- Experiment with garnishes.
- For a stronger Hibiscus flavor: Increase the amount of dried hibiscus flowers to 1.5 cups.
- For a less tart flavor: Reduce the amount of hibiscus flowers to 3/4 cup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes