Raspberry Mint Iced Tea

There’s nothing better than a cold, refreshing glass of raspberry iced tea to quench your thirst!  Made with fresh mint, raspberries and steeped to perfection, this easy iced tea recipe is the perfect drink for sipping on a hot summer day!

As many of you know, I grew up in a small, rural farm town – Burke, South Dakota.  It was a wonderful place to spend my childhood – small town atmosphere, lots of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.  As I grew up, surrounded by family, I pick up and developed the same tastes as those around me.  My grandpa, my mom and brothers are all avid iced tea drinkers, and like them, there is nothing I love more in the summer than a cold, refreshing glass of iced tea!  Specifically a great fruit-flavored iced tea like this fantastic raspberry iced tea recipe.

I now live in Northern Virginia, and here in the south iced tea is affectionately called “sweet tea” even if it is sweetened or not.  The way you take your sweet tea here in the south says as much about your personality as how you vote and where you go to church.  Loving a glass of “sweet tea” was one of the first of many things I began to love about the South.  Many people love it VERY sweet, take it with plenty of lemon, and if you’re feelin’ fancy, throw a bit of fruit into the mix.   Mixing in some fruit to a delicious mint tea is how this fantastic Raspberry Mint Iced Tea came to be!

Step 1: Steep the Tea

Making this delicious summer drink couldn’t be easier!  Making iced tea at home using fresh-brewed tea from tea bags is the key to a wonderful, fresh drink.  This is the way my mom made it when I was a kid, and the way I always make it to this day.  Using a glass measuring cup or heat safe-bowl, simply add boiling water to about 6 tea bags.  From here let your tea steep for at least 30 minutes.  This is another great tip for getting a good, strong glass of tea.  Let your tea steep longer, and add more tea bags if you like it even stronger.

Step 2: Add Water and Sweeten

Once your tea has steeped, pour over ice, add raspberries and fresh mint leaves, and top with additional water. The result is an incredible glass of fresh, flavorful and delicious iced tea!  If you prefer a “sweet tea”, simply add the sweetener of your choice.  For a pitcher of this size, I would add about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar – adapt to your taste preference for a sweeter, or less-sweet tea.

Step 3: Pour into glasses and top with additional fruit & mint

The flavor of the fresh mint, and raspberries paired with the Plantation Mint tea is fantastic!  Subtle mint flavors are cool and refreshing and the raspberries add a wonderful, complimentary flavor.  To increase these flavors, I would recommend mashing (muddling) the mint and raspberries together before adding the tea.

Here is a quick shopping list of the ingredients you’ll need for this fantastic Raspberry Iced Tea:

• Tea – like this Plantation Mint by Bigelow
• Fresh raspberries
• Fresh mint
• Sugar, or any of your other preferred sweeteners

Here’s the easy recipe for this fantastic Raspberry Mint Iced Tea:

No matter where you live – the South, South Dakota or anywhere in between, I hope you get to enjoy a fresh, delicious glass of this fantastic Raspberry Iced Tea this summer.  Cheers!  ~Erin

What’s your favorite Bigelow tea flavor?  I have several, however, this Plantation Mint is my new favorite!  Let me know how you enjoy your tea in the comments.

Check out some of my other fantastic cold drinks for hot days:

Ginger Peach Iced Tea

Arnold Palmer Iced Tea

Sparkling Blackberry Lemonade