7 Fourth of July Teas
by Jessica Child
July 02, 2019
The Star Spangled Banner of Tea!
Whether or not you're American, these teas are easy to celebrate and enjoy. The ingredients featured in these blends are classic for Americans, versatile, and simple to prepare. At the end of this article, we'll also cover the most American tea of all: Sweet tea.
1. Berry Blast
2. Raspberry Patch
Berry Blast and Raspberry Patch
With beautiful red colors, these caffeine-free teas can make any tea arrangement berry bright. Add some sweetener and sip on them as a sweet, fruity dessert.
Both Berry Blast and Raspberry Patch are a breeze to brew. Steep at 212°F for 5-10 minutes to enjoy these beautiful reds.
3. Brigadoon Breakfast
Brigadoon Breakfast
We can thank our English, Irish, and Scottish ancestors for bringing their love of breakfast tea with them when they emigrated to the Americas. The bright blues of cornflowers in this Scottish blend will brighten up your cup almost as much as the caffeine! Brigadoon Breakfast is a leap year tea that will keep you skipping throughout the day. Officially, it celebrates the Scottish flag with its addition blue cornflowers and silver needles.
Quickly brew this cup, or any breakfast tea, at 212°F for 3-5 minutes.
If you don't have any Brigadoon Breakfast on hand, you'll be able to grab some February 29th, 2028. In the meantime, enjoy any breakfast tea like traditional English, Irish, and Scottish breakfast teas.
4. Chamomile
Chamomile
This fragrant plant, settling in wherever it finds sunlight and moisture, has made its way into our hearts and cups for centuries.
Like Peter Rabbit, anyone can find comfort and peace in a cup of chamomile after a long day. Brew chamomile at 212°F for 5-10 minutes. For a little sweetness, honey makes a fantastic addition.
If you're hoping for something blended with chamomile, it combines well with peppermint, rooibos, and dried fruits. Try Cha Cha or Foxtrot for an easy pre-mixed blend!
5. Green Rooibos Blueberry
Green Rooibos Blueberry
Blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and green rooibos sport the full spectrum of the flag! This is a colorful and charming tea that can help you cool off during the summer heat.
Brew Green Rooibos Blueberry, or any green rooibos blend, at 212°F for 5 minutes. If it's too hot to justify heating water, cold brew green rooibos for 6-8 hours in the fridge.
6. Honeybush Hazelnut
Honeybush Hazelnut
Honeybush Hazelnut is happy to keep up, even when life is getting a little nutty. Calm down at the end of the day with this Honeybush blend featuring one of our favorite nuts. For some sweetness, add a little brown sugar.
Brew Honeybush Hazelnut at 212°F for 5 minutes. Since teas like Honeybush and Mate teas have a finer texture, make sure to use a fine mesh to steep or strain this tea to minimize escapee tea in your cup!
7. White Peach
White Peach
A truly light, Southern mix perfect for hot days, White Peach features one of America's favorites: Peaches!
Brew white peach at 180°F for 3-5 minutes, or cold brew it for 6-8 hours in the fridge. Either way, this summer tea is perfect warm or iced and pairs perfectly with honey and sugar.
Not peachy enough? Try our Peach Tea. This black tea blend, brewed at 212°F for 3 minutes, is the perfect choice for devoted peach lovers.
Brewing Sweet Tea
Most Americans know the steps to simple, easy sweet tea. This Southern favorite is perfect to sip on a hot daywith or without biscuits, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, or pie to accompany it. If you haven't made it before and you like your tea sweet, this treat is worth a try!
Basic sweet tea instructions
Step 1: Fill a container with way, way too much sugar. Maybe a little less, actually.
lots of sweet in your sweet tea!
Step 2: Boil water with black tea bags or pour boiling water over tea bags and sugar.
Step 3: Steep for 3-5 minutes. Stir and serve immediately with ice for the sweet, icy, warm contrast OR add ice to strong, warm tea until the entire pitcher is cooled for all-around cold iced tea. Easy!
(Optional) Step 4: Add a wedge of lemon.
Here are a couple of ways to mix it up without changing the process too much as well!
First, try using a mixture of honey and sugar for sweeteners. The mixture creates a more rounded flavor that reduces how much sugar is needed before it tastes "sweet."
honey & sugar combo
You can also use different types of tea. Not only can you use different kinds, but you can also combine them. For example, if you have loose leaf tea that may have been alive for the Boston Tea Party, you can still make use of it.
great way to use up older teas
You can combine it with a fresher tea, like these tea pouches, and brew it together for a sweet tea that tastes great! When using loose leaf tea, either strain the tea out once it's down brewing or use a tea pouch for steeping.
For an alternative brewing method, you can make sun tea or, more safely, fridge tea (cold brew). These methods use less heat, so your final product should be less bitter and a little smoother than the traditional hot water brewing. You also won't have to worry about discovering an empty pan of water you've forgotten.
Sun tea is a classic option, often using the charming bottles with a tap that sit in the sun for hours until the tea is absolutely perfect. Of course, this method requires not using sugar until the tea is brewed and having the bottle perfectly clean to avoid bacterial growth. It also means not breaking your tea jar over the winter. Regardless, there's a reason we love it so much!
Our other option, cold brew, can be made during any season, doesn't care when you add the sugar, and won't be discovered by neighborhood squirrels.
cold brew!
This method is simple. Combine your regular tea to water ratio and any preferred sweetener. Cover the mixture and leave it to rest in the fridge for 8-12 hours. When it's ready, remove or strain out any tea, stir in any sugar that hasn't combined, and serve!
Leave out any sugar at all, if you prefer it unsweetened.
Cold brew tea can be mixed together the night before you'd like to have it to save on prep time.