Ray Ray's Sonoran Tea Recipe
Recipe information
Make Ray Ray's Sonoran Tea in just 55m. sonoran spirit tea, tucson
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Ingredients
Tea base
Prickly pear syrup (optional; makes ~2 cups)
Cocktail mix (makes 4 servings)
Garnish & finish
Tea base
1. Boil and infuse
Bring 8 cups of water to a gentle boil in a saucepot. Remove from heat, add the dried hibiscus flowers, orange peel strips, and the cinnamon stick. Cover and let steep 6 minutes to extract bright floral and citrus notes from the hibiscus and peel.
2. Add tea and steep
Add the 6 black tea bags to the hot infusion and steep 3–4 minutes for a strong, slightly tannic base (longer will be more bitter). Taste at 3 minutes and remove tea bags once the tea is strong but not overly bitter.
3. Sweeten and cool
While the infusion is still warm, stir in 60 ml agave nectar until dissolved. Remove and discard the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and hibiscus solids, then transfer the brewed tea to the refrigerator to cool completely (about 30–40 minutes). Reserve at least 6 cups of the cooled tea for the cocktail.
Prickly pear syrup (optional)
4. Prep the purée
If starting from fresh prickly pears, carefully peel and de-seed, then purée the flesh and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to yield about 480 ml of smooth purée. If using bottled purée or juice, measure 480 ml.
5. Cook syrup
Combine the 480 ml prickly pear purée, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 120 ml water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Simmer 6–8 minutes until slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools).
6. Finish and cool
Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you want a clearer syrup. Refrigerate until ready to use. Use 240 ml in the cocktail recipe and reserve the rest for other drinks.
Cocktail mix
7. Combine base liquids
In a large pitcher combine 6 cups of the cooled brewed tea, 240 ml tequila blanco, 60 ml orange liqueur, 240 ml prickly pear syrup, and 120 ml fresh lime juice. Stir well to blend flavors.
8. Taste and adjust
Taste the mixture and adjust balance if needed: add up to 30 ml extra tequila for more spirit, more prickly pear syrup or a splash of additional agave for sweetness, or more lime for brightness. Chill in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes if not already cold.
9. Assemble drinks
Fill four tall glasses with about 1–2 cups of ice each (divide 8 cups ice among 4 glasses). Divide the chilled cocktail mix evenly among the glasses (about 1 cup per glass), leaving room to top each with club soda. Top each glass with about 1/2 cup club soda to add effervescence and gently stir once to combine.
Garnish & finish
10. Rim the glass (optional)
If desired, rub a lime wedge around each glass rim and dip into Tajín or coarse salt to rim. This complements the Sonoran profile.
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