Tieton Cider Works Recipe

Bring water to near-boil

In a kettle or heavy saucepan, bring 8 cups cold filtered water to a rolling simmer (just under boiling).

Steep tea and herbs

Place the 4 black tea bags, 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus, 12 fresh mint leaves and the sliced ginger into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the near-boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 8 minutes for full flavor without excessive bitterness.

After 8 minutes, remove the tea bags and strain the steeped solids (hibiscus, mint, ginger) through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pitcher. Press gently on solids to extract liquid but avoid squeezing tea bags to prevent bitterness.

Allow the strained tea to cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then refrigerate until fully chilled (about 1 hour) or proceed with quick-chill method by adding ice in the final assembly.

Combine citrus

While the tea cools, zest one orange (about 1 teaspoon) and juice fresh lemons to yield 1 cup lemon juice. Add the orange zest and the lemon juice to the cooled tea and stir to combine. The acidity brightens the herbal notes and balances sweetness.

Adjust ginger intensity

If you prefer a stronger ginger bite, bruise an additional slice or two and steep in the hot tea for the initial steep. If milder, omit extra.

Sweeten

Warm 1 cup honey (or apple cider syrup — combine 1 cup apple cider and 1/4 cup sugar, simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency) slightly so it pours easily. Stir the sweetener into the chilled tea until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness to preference (start with 3/4 cup and increase up to 1 cup).

Chill and serve

Fill a large pitcher with 4 cups of ice and pour the sweetened tea over the ice, or pour chilled tea over ice-filled glasses. Add 1 thinly sliced apple and 4 mint sprigs into the pitcher for aroma and presentation.

Serve immediately in tall glasses over ice, garnished with an apple slice and a mint sprig. Keeps in the refrigerator covered for up to 48 hours; stir before serving as ingredients may settle.