Iced Blackcurrant Tea with Fresh Blackberries and Lemon Verbena

teas.co.uk · 8 min · Serves 1

You'll need

• 1 Hyson Blackcurrant Infused Black Tea bag
• 150ml filtered water at a full rolling boil (100°C)
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 8 fresh ripe blackberries (about 50g; from a small punnet)
• 1 small fresh lemon verbena sprig (4 to 6 leaves on a stem; substitute lemon balm or fresh basil if verbena is unavailable)
• 1 thin slice of lemon, optional, on the rim
• 250g cubed ice (not crushed; cubes hold longer against the blackberry pulp)
• 1 wooden spoon or muddler, for the blackberries
• Glassware: 400ml tall iced tea glass or stemmed wine glass, pre chilled in the freezer for ten minutes

Method

1. Pre chill the iced tea glass in the freezer for at least ten minutes.
2. Bring the kettle to a full rolling boil. Drop the Hyson Blackcurrant Infused Black Tea bag into a small heatproof jug and pour 150ml of the freshly boiled water straight over.
3. Steep uncovered for three full minutes. Lift the bag out and press it gently against the side of the jug. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of caster sugar while the brew is still hot so it dissolves cleanly.
4. Take the iced tea glass out of the freezer. Place the 8 fresh blackberries in the bottom of the glass and muddle them with the wooden spoon for about five seconds: light pressure, just enough to break the berries into pulpy chunks. Do not over muddle; over muddled blackberries release a bitter seed note.
5. Add the cubed ice on top of the muddled blackberries, filling the glass three quarters full. The blackberry pulp at the bottom shows through the glass as a deep purple base.
6. Pour the still hot sweetened concentrate over the ice in one steady stream. The ice will roar as it shatters; within twenty seconds the glass is cold to the touch and the deep red purple iced tea sits over the blackberry pulp base.
7. Tuck the small fresh lemon verbena sprig among the cubed ice high in the glass, so the leaves sit just below the rim. Lay the optional thin lemon slice on the rim.
8. Serve immediately with a wide straw or two thin straws (the wide bore lets the drinker draw up some of the blackberry pulp at the bottom). Drink within fifteen minutes; the blackberries keep releasing juice into the iced tea and the drink improves as it sits.

Recipe: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/iced tea/iced blackcurrant tea with fresh blackberries and lemon verbena/