Exploring tea as an ingredient has revealed some interesting and delicious recipes! We just made this refreshing summer pitcher cocktail using jasmine green tea syrup for the base, and combining it with lemon juice, vodka and ginger beer for an adult riff on everyone’s favorite tea-lemonade drink.
We didn’t get it in one test, however. We tried a few combinations of ingredients to get to the final result: a light summer cocktail with the delicate fragrance of jasmine, enhanced by a bit of ginger.
Our first tests made it clear that the tea needs to be brewed fairly strong, but with the proper temperature of water and a short steeping time. We used a jasmine green tea—the recommended water temperature is between 160° and 180°F, and the steeping time should be no longer than 4 minutes, to avoid a bitter flavor. So we ended up using more tea leaves for a stronger jasmine flavor.
We tried both ginger ale and ginger beer to add sparkle and ginger flavor. Ginger beer pulled the flavors together better than the ginger ale, and gave a much fuller, more rounded cocktail.
Best of all, Jasmine Tea Hard Lemonade is an easy drink to make ahead and have ready for guests. Keep all the ingredients cold, and add the ginger beer and club soda to the pitcher just before serving over ice. Garnish generously with lemon slices and share with friends on a warm summer evening!
Jasmine Tea Hard Lemonade
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons jasmine green tea leaves
6 tablespoons sugar
1 cup vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup ginger beer, chilled
1 cup club soda, chilled
Lemon slices
Directions
Heat water to boiling; pour into heat-safe 4-cup glass measuring cup. Let cool to 160° to 180°F. Place tea leaves into an infuser or directly into the water; let steep 4 minutes. Remove infuser or pour tea through strainer to remove leaves. Stir sugar into warm tea until dissolved.
Pour tea syrup into a large pitcher; stir in vodka and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Just before serving, gently stir in ginger beer and club soda. Pour tea cocktail into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lemon slices.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Total Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes | Servings: 8 (about 5 ounces each)
Lemon juice brightens this cocktail, and if you can find Meyer lemons, the flavor is even more delightful!
Check out more refreshing tea drinks:
- Green Tea Cooler (Non-Alcoholic) from Betty Crocker
- Emerald Palmer (Non-Alcoholic) from Food & Wine
- Earl Grey Tea Cocktail from Sugar and Charm
- Last Call Cocktail from Food52