Sun Cruiser Half & Half Recipe

Brew strong tea

Bring 6 cups water to a near boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Steep 5 minutes for a strong brew (do not oversteep to avoid bitterness).

After 5 minutes, remove and discard tea bags, pressing gently against the side to release flavor. While the tea is still warm, stir in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until fully dissolved.

Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature, then stir in 2 cups cold water to yield a balanced iced tea concentrate. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the lemonade (at least 30 minutes, faster if iced).

In a pitcher, combine 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.

Add 3 cups water and continue stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Taste and adjust sweetness: if too tart, add up to 1 tablespoon more sugar; if too sweet, add up to 1/2 cup additional water. Chill the lemonade until cold.

Prepare serving glasses: fill each glass about two-thirds full with ice (roughly 6 cups of ice total for the batch sized here—adjust per glass).

For a traditional Half & Half proportion, pour equal parts of iced tea and lemonade into each glass. For this batch-size recipe, combine chilled tea concentrate and chilled lemonade in the pitcher in a 1:1 ratio (about 3 cups tea + 3 cups lemonade). Stir gently to mix.

If using alcohol, stir in 3 fl oz vodka into the full pitcher to achieve approximately 4–5% ABV for the combined volume. Taste and adjust—omit vodka for a nonalcoholic version.

If desired, top the combined drink with up to 1 cup club soda to add light effervescence; stir gently to incorporate.

Pour the Half & Half over the prepared glasses of ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice. Serve immediately chilled.