Iced Tea and Lemonade - Ideal for Keeping Cool During the Dog Days

With the hottest days of Summer ahead of us, looking for ways to cool off is a necessity. Staying inside is an option, but with the beautiful weather outside, it’s a shame to be stuck just trying to stay chilled. Keep your cool during the dog days of summer with iced tea and lemonade drinks. Most of these are simply additions to your teas and lemonades making it super easy to be super chill.     Arnold Palmer Made with half sweet tea (some prefer unsweet) and half lemonade, this Summer refresher is an easy way to beat the heat. Also known as a Half and Half or a Caddyshack, the golf legend himself preferred a three to one mix of unsweetened tea to lemonade. And if you’re looking for something a little more “adult”, add some vodka to make a John Daly. Whichever way you prefer it, make sure to mix it to your own taste! Use our Iced Tea Blend or any of our black teas for your Arnold Palmer.   Strawberry Basil Tea Strawberries add a little bit of sweet and a little bit of tart while savory basil adds a surprisingly refreshing tang. You can easily add sliced strawberries and basil leaves to your tea, but to really get the flavor out of them try muddling them in the bottom of your glass. Or follow this delicious recipe from Martha Stewart:     Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Combine remaining cup of water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add basil. Let steep for 10 minutes. Place strawberries in a bowl and strain sugar mixture over them, discarding the basil leaves and tossing the strawberries to coat. Let cool for 25 minutes. Combine strawberries with syrup and tea in a pitcher. Serve over ice with a sprig of basil for a garnish.   Lavender Earl Grey For a unique taste in Summer refreshment, try an iced Lavender Earl Grey. Just brew a pitcher of Earl Grey (or try it in decaf) and serve over ice with a 1/2 ounce of Monin Lavender Syrup stirred in. If you’re feeling a little more hands-on, make your own lavender simple syrup. Combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and add three tablespoons of fresh or dried lavender flowers. Allow to steep for an hour. Strain out the flowers, allow to cool, and add to your tea to taste.   Blackberry Lemonade Add the mouthwatering flavor of plump, sweet blackberries to the tartly refreshing flavor of lemonade. One ounce of Monin Blackberry Gourmet Syrup added to your ice-cold lemonade is a super refreshing way to spend a sultry afternoon or evening. Throw the whole thing in the blender for a slushy blend that will really cool you off.   Iced Tisane These are so simple you can make them with your eyes closed. Well, almost. Brew up one of our brisk and fruity tisanes and serve it over ice, with or without simple syrup for the easiest way to cool down on these hot Summer days. Any of our tisanes are perfect, and since they have no caffeine, they’re ideal for the kids. Try them in a popsicle maker for a super chiller.   Iced Flavored Tea For an iced flavored tea as simple as the iced tisane, try one of our tasty flavored teas over ice. With over 20 flavors to choose from you're sure to find your favorite refresher.   Let us know how you like to keep cool during these sweltering Summer afternoons.