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Ingredients
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Tea
House-made lemonade
Garnish (optional)
Method
Tea
- 1
Brew the tea
Bring 4 cups of fresh water to a near boil (about 200–205°F / 93–96°C). Remove from heat and add 4 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea (or 4 black tea bags). Steep for 3–5 minutes depending on desired strength (3 minutes for lighter, 5 minutes for robust).
- 2
After steeping, strain the leaves or remove tea bags. Allow the brewed tea to cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes (or place in an ice bath to speed cooling).
House-made lemonade
- 3
Make simple syrup
In a small saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature. (Alternatively, dissolve sugar directly into warm lemon juice if short on time.)
- 4
Make lemonade
In a pitcher, combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice with the cooled simple syrup. Add 1 cup cold water and stir well. Taste and adjust: add up to 2 more tablespoons sugar or an additional 1/4–1/2 cup water to reach preferred sweetness and strength. Chill until ready to assemble.
Assemble Palmer Tea
- 5
Fill four serving glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass).
- 6
For each glass, pour 3/4 cup chilled black tea and 1/4 cup house-made lemonade (ratio 3:1 tea to lemonade). Stir gently to combine. For a batch: combine 3 parts chilled tea to 1 part lemonade in a large pitcher (e.g., 3 cups tea + 1 cup lemonade) and stir.
- 7