For those of you (over 21 years old) looking for the perfect organic summer cocktail - look no further!  This recipe for The Silver Jubilee from Choice Organic Teas and Bluewater Organic Distilling is a fresh take on using ice tea to mix fantastic cocktails that will help you withstand the heat of summer.

The Research

It is especially important to choose organic when you are buying tea, because pesticides used on tea leaves can be extracted into your beverage during the steeping process.  One study found that pesticide residue transfer rates from dried tea leaves to brewed tea were up to 92.4%.  Also worrisome are the high levels of pesticides that have been found on conventional tea samples.  For example, a recent test of pesticide levels on dried teas by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation showed that some teas on the market contain levels of pesticides that exceed standards.  To ensure that you are avoiding a high dose of pesticide along with your iced or hot tea always choose organic!

The Recipe

Ingredients

1.5 oz Oolong Tea Syrup

To make syrup: Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar & 1 tbsp cinnamon into 1 cup hot water. Add 2 tea bags of Choice Organic Teas Oolong, steep for 4 minutes and remove.)

1.5 oz Bluewater Organic Vodka (www.bluewaterdistilling.com)

Fresh Lemon

Directions

Muddle 2 lemon slices in a shaker, add tea syrup, vodka and ice. Shake well. Drink on the rocks, or strain into martini glass and garnish with lemon. Adjust sugar content to fit your palate if desired.

For further creativity, make ice cubes out of tea to add as a clever twist. They work great to prevent melting cubes from diluting the beverage. To make, just brew with twice the amount of tea bags as usual, then pour steeped tea into ice cube trays to freeze. Below each tea find a recommendation for “cubing.” And each recipe can be tweaked to allow for personal creativity.