Verveine, or lemon verbena, is the herb the French reach for on a hot afternoon, and one taste of it iced shows why. It is intensely lemony and perfumed, more so than lemon balm, yet completely caffeine-free, so it makes a clean, fragrant cooler you can drink at any time of day. A wheel of lemon and a sprig of the verbena itself, lightly bruised, push the citrus scent right to the front. Brew it strong so it carries over the ice.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Iced Lemon Verbena (Verveine) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/iced-tea/iced-lemon-verbena-verveine/
You'll need
- 2 tea bags of Rochambeau Verveine Infusion
- 200ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
- 200ml cold still water
- 1 fresh lemon wheel
- 1 fresh lemon verbena sprig (or mint sprig as substitute)
- 1 tall 450ml glass, chilled in the freezer for ten minutes
- Enough cubed ice (about 250g)
- 1 small jug for steeping, 1 saucer for covering
Method
- Steep the 2 tea bags in 200ml just-boiled water for six minutes under a saucer, then lift them out.
- Cool the brew right down in cold water or the fridge.
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the cooled verbena over.
- Lengthen with the cold water, easing it down the back of a spoon.
- Add the lemon wheel and a bruised sprig of lemon verbena, or mint if you cannot get it.
- Tip: traditionally taken after dinner in France, it makes a lovely fragrant jug for warm evenings.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Rochambeau Verveine Infusion, 25 Tea Bags 40g
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