Nothing says summer time like a tall glass of iced tea. You haven’t had iced tea until you’ve made it from loose leaf tea. The full body taste of loose leaf is remarkably different from Lipton, Tetley or other grocery store brands and really gives you that crispness that makes tea so refreshing.

Since we’re grown-ups, lets add a little bit of jazz to this summertime classic by way of another American classic… whiskey.

Ingredients
• 3 tbsp Loose Leaf Exotic Fruit Peach Tea
• 4 cups of water *Remember, filtered is best!
• Paper tea filter or infuser or your choice
• 1 cup peach nectar (I prefer Goya brand)
• Whiskey of your choice
• Peach slices for garnish
**Makes 6-8 servings

Boil the 4 cups of water, take it off the burner, submerge tea, and steep the tea 3-4 minutes. Remove the tea bags once you’re done steeping. Let the tea cool for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a pitcher. Add the peach nectar and stir. Fill a tall glass about 3/4 of the way with ice and pour on the tea mixture. Leave enough room to toss in a shot of whiskey. Garnish with a fresh slice of peach.

Introduce your holiday guests to something new this season, tea nog. The tea-based version of nog is just as tasty, but less rich than the traditional seasonal treat.

This recipe uses 2 eggs, rather than the typical 6 eggs used in common egg nog, providing some much needed respite on the waist line during this gastronomically indulgent time of year.

Ingredients (12 servings):

• 6 teaspoons of loose leaf black tea (or green chai or black chai tea for added flavor)
• 2  Eggs
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup rum or brandy (optional)
• 3 cups of water
• Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation:

1. Steep tea in 3 cups of boiling water for 3-5 minutes
2. Remove the tea leaves and let the tea cool
3. Add beaten eggs, milk, vanilla, rum, nutmeg to the cool tea and mix well
4. Serve topped with whip cream (optional) and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg

Wikipedia defines a hot toddy as “mixed drink that is served hot.” This is quite a vague description given to a drink that is consumed primarily as a home-remedy for the common cold or flu. The Toddy takes many forms… but it is essentially hot tea laced with spirits (most often whiskey, rum or brandy) and made palatable with a few drops of honey, lemon and spices of your choice (cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg).

Like chicken soup, the majority of the drink’s healing properties come from the heat and steam which serve to open up the sinuses, aiding in decongestion. The honey helps to soothe the throat and the liquor, if nothing else, eases the soul.

Hot Toddy prepared with brandy, honey, black chai and lemon

A Toddy can be made with a base of black, green or herbal tea — really, it is a matter of preference. More traditionally, cloves and cinnamon are added to Toddies to improve the flavor. I opt for a green or black chai, or similar blend of aromatic tea, that already contains these spices. Green tea with ginger is also a nice option.

Of course loose leaf teas, with their robust flavor profiles, provide a nice base for anyone looking to add their own spices to a brew. Check out Indulgeteas.com for a wide selection of premium loose leaf teas for your next hot toddy.  See our guide to tea for characterstics and steeping instructions for  an array of tea varieties.

Toddy Ingredients (1 cup):

• 1-2 Tsp of tea of your choice (black, green, or herbal)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 cup of hot water

Preparation:

1. Boil the water
2. Pour honey into the mug
3. Pour liquor and juice of the lemon into the cup
4. Place loose leaf tea in diffuser over cup and pour on the hot water (or drop teaball, or prepared teabag into water)
5. Steep for 2-4 minutes
6. Remove tea ball, bag or diffuser, stir to blend honey, tea and liquor
7. Sip and enjoy