Strawberry Rose White Iced Tea

Pink, layered white iced tea with strawberry and rose.

Disclosure: Today’s recipe and post are sponsored by the Tea Council.

Is this iced tea the ultimate Millennial iced tea? We’ve got Millennial pink roses, some subtle ombré topped off with the fact studies show that 87% of millennials are drinking tea. While it probably doesn’t matter if you’re in the know on that ubiquitous millennial pink color, you should get to know white tea. 

Black, green, oolong, dark and white teas all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. It’s the same plant - just different processing! The specific way the leaves are processed and the duration of time that the leaves are allowed to oxidize are the determining factors for the resulting type of tea. During oxidation, tea leaves naturally undergo a chemical reaction that gives specific colors and tastes depending on time and the shape of the leaf. Green and white teas, for example, are not oxidized, period! They are heated (steamed or pan-fired) to destroy the enzyme that enables the oxidation reaction, then rolled and dried. But black tea, the strongest of the bunch, is fully oxidized.

Since today’s featured white tea is very light in flavor, it’s paired with additional delicate flavors that are refreshing and not overwhelming. Rose water has been one of my favorite secrets for warm weather recipes. We typically pair it with fruit in deserts or drinks to add an unexpected flavor. It’s also peak strawberry season so take those berries that are just about to be too ripe and capture their flavor in a simple syrup. Fresh mint takes the whole blend one step up to be ultra-refreshing.

While you’re not required to go all in with the garnishes and layered look of this drink (it tastes great no matter how you stir it up), it creates quite the Instagrammable drink. Or maybe that’s just my millennial brain showing.

Strawberry Rose Mint Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 6 oz white tea, brewed with 5 fresh mint leaves, strained and chilled
• 1/2 tablespoon strawberry simple syrup (adjust to preferred sweetness)
• 3 dashes rose water
• fresh mint for garnish
• sliced strawberry for garnish
• rose for garnish
• ice

strawberry simple syrup: 

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

Directions:

To make simple syrup, add equal parts granulated sugar and water into a sauce pan. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Add sliced strawberries. Heat strawberries and simple syrup over low for several minutes to soften strawberries. Mash strawberries and pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids. Chill syrup.

To make drink brew white tea with mint leaves. Steep, strain and chill. Add ice to a glass. For layered effect, pour simple syrup in first. Holding the back of a spoon convex side up at the top of the glass, slowly pour iced white tea over the spoon back to gently add tea on top of simple syrup layer. Add a few dashes of rose water. Garnish with rose and mint. Stir to combine after serving.