“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Pure Leaf. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

 

My favorite drink in the summer is iced tea. In fact, my favorite drink all year is iced tea! I prefer to drink it unsweetened with a slice of lemon or lime, but every now and then I enjoy a bottle of sweetened or flavored tea. Pure Leaf has recently launched two Not So Sweet ice teas to add to their line. Pure Leaf uses fresh, ripe tea leaves picked from China, India, Africa and South America for their distinctive and smooth flavor by Pure Leaf’s Master Tea Blenders. Pure Leaf is proud to be Rainforest Alliance Certified™ for sourcing tea sustainably. Their packaging is also sustainable. It is made with PET plastic, which makes the bottles lighter and allows for high pallet efficiency, which means lighter loads and less fuel used in transport. The PET plastic is 100% recyclable. Pure Leaf Tea Bottles come in 18.5-oz. and 59-oz. carafe plastic bottles.

 

 

The two new Not Too Sweet teas are Not Too Sweet Peach Tea and Not Too Sweet Honey Green Tea.  Both are light and only contain 45 calories per 8-oz. serving. Like I said before, I prefer unsweetened tea, but these tasted really good. I love the taste of sweet peach and green tea. My favorite form of hot tea is green tea with lemon and honey, so I was basically given the cold version! YUM!

 

 

The remaining teas are:

• Unsweetened Iced Tea: Simple black tea…my favorite ~ 0 calories per 8-oz. serving

• Sweetened Iced Tea: Black tea sweetened with all-natural sugar ~ 70 calories per 8-oz. serving

• Extra Sweet Iced Tea: Reminiscent of a Southern sweet tea ~ 110 calories per 8-oz. serving

• Iced Tea With Raspberry: Black tea with tart berry ~ 80 calories per 8-oz. serving

• Iced Tea With Peach: Black tea with sweet peach ~ 80 calories per 8-oz. serving {Also available in diet ~ 0 calories per 8-oz. serving}

• Iced Tea With Lemon: Classic black tea with lemon ~ 70 calories per 8-oz. serving {Also available in diet ~ 0 calories per 8-oz. serving}

 

Summer has been so hot that I have really enjoyed sampling these teas. You don’t have to drink the tea straight from the bottle, you can turn it into a cocktail or just jazz it up with some fruit and herbs! Here are some Pure Leaf recipes to try out this summer!

Pure Leaf-Inspired Cocktails

 

ASIAN SPICY CUCUMBER HONEY GREEN TEA

2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

10 slices cucumber (about 1/4-inch thick)

2 slices lime (about 1/4-inch thick)

Pinch ground red pepper

1 bottle Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Honey Green Tea

Crush cucumber, lime and red pepper with wooden spoon in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Stir in Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Honey Green Tea. Strain and serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish, if desired, with additional cucumber and lime.

For a cocktail version, simply add 1/4 cup vodka.

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PEACH BLUEBERRY-BASIL ICED TEA

2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

1/4 cup blueberries

5 large fresh basil leaves

1 bottle Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea

Crush blueberries and basil with wooden spoon in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Stir in Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea. Strain and serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish, if desired, with additional blueberries and basil.

For a pitcher, simply double the recipe.

For a cocktail version, simply add 1/4 cup light rum.

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PEACHY-GINGER TEA THYME

2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

3 slices fresh ginger, about 1/8-inch thick

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bottle Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea

Crush ginger and thyme with wooden spoon in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Stir in Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea. Strain and serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish, if desired, with additional ginger and thyme.

For a pitcher, simply double the recipe.

For a cocktail version, simply add 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey.

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POMEGRANATE MAR-TEA-NI

1 serving

Prep Time: 5 minutes

2 ounces of Pure Leaf™ Lemon Iced Tea

2 ounces pomegranate juice

In shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients. Shake well, then strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish, if desired, with lemon peel.

Serving suggestion: Moisten rim of chilled martini glass with lemon wedge, then coat with colored sugar.

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Strawberry Black Peppercorn Peach Tea

2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

2 tsp. black peppercorns

6 strawberries

1 bottle Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea

Crush peppercorns with wooden spoon in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Add strawberries and mash well. Stir in Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Peach Tea. Strain and serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish, if desired, with additional sliced strawberries.

*Substitution: Instead of peppercorns, simply add 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper.

For a cocktail version, simply add 1 cup chilled sparkling wine after straining.

 

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Minted Melon Iced Honey Green Tea

2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

6 chunks honeydew melon, about 1-1/2 inches square

15 large fresh mint leaves

1 bottle Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Honey Green Tea

Crush honeydew and mint with wooden spoon in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Stir in Pure Leaf™ Not Too Sweet Honey Green Tea. Strain and serve over ice. Garnish, if desired, with additional honeydew and mint sprigs.

For a pitcher, simply double the recipe.

For a cocktail version, simply add 1/4 cup vodka.

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Pure Leaf has partnered with Ted Allen of Chopped to showcase different unique food and beverage pairings for any meal.

 

Ted Allen’s Summer Entertaining Tips

 

1. On summertime refreshments:

Summertime is party time, and nothing says celebration like cocktails—and mocktails! A splash of vodka (or not) in Pure Leaf Sweet Tea, along with some fresh cherries, an ounce of elderflower liqueur, and some fresh mint—or, if you’re adventuresome, fresh basil—makes for a great, refreshing, showy treat!

 

2. On Pure Leaf Not Too Sweet flavors:

The clean, crisp refreshment of Pure Leaf Not Too Sweet is perfect for lightly seasoned, light fare like salads, shrimp, and other delicate foods—compliments them without overwhelming them.

 

3. On hosting a barbecue:

When you’re barbecuing, make it easier on yourself by prepping ahead with side dishes that don’t need to be heated: Bean salads, pasta salads, even a panzanella bread salad are easy to make ahead, and that frees you up to be the Grill Master.

 

4. Idea for Labor Day party:

It’s your last chance of the summer to wear white—so throw a White Party! Serve white beans, white asparagus, white Belgian beer, and be sure to tuck a napkin into your collar before eating.

 

5. On pairing with tea (a tip he’s sharing at a special pairings seminar at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen):

The delicate, refreshing flavor of tea pairs beautifully with almost any food. Think of its abilities to clean your palate of rich, sweet flavors, and to compliment more delicate ones. Offer a range of teas—sweet, unsweetened, not-too-sweet, peach—to give your guests choices, then serve with interesting garnishes (cherries, kiwi, blood orange, Meyer lemon, and a selection of herbs).

 

6. On dinner parties:

Nobody wants to hear themselves chewing at a dinner party, so don’t let “dead air” happen at yours! For a fun ambience, the music must never stop. Develop a playlist of elegant background music—no surprises like heavy metal or John Philip Sousa. My go-to is Chet Baker.

 

So now you have the recipes and tips on how to enjoy summer with Pure Leaf Iced Tea! Look for Pure Leaf at your local store.

 

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