A Refreshing Beverage for 4th of July Celebrations
As the 4th of July approaches, people all over the United States prepare to celebrate Independence Day with family gatherings, barbecues, and outdoor festivities. An iconic beverage to compliment the summer heat and patriotic spirit is iced tea. With its refreshing taste and versatility, iced tea has become a staple at Fourth of July parties and picnics.
A Festive Tea-wist
Iced tea is an iconic drink to enjoy in the summer, but we make it even more festive by incorporating fresh strawberries, sliced apple, and blueberries to incorporate some red, white, and blue elements without the addition of any food dyes. It makes for a delicious fruit salad after you're done drinking, plus any leftover fruit makes a great snack for your guests to enjoy!
A Soda & Energy Drink Substitute
This red, white and blue spritzer is a great alternative for people trying to avoid sugary bubbly drinks like soda or energy drinks. For this drink, we use Sparkling Raspberry Wine, a white tea, as the base. White teas generally have a low caffeine content, which can be great for those who are sensitive to caffeine. However, if you're looking for more of an energy boost, you can use a tea such as Happy tea, which is made from guayusa tea. Guayusa tea packs an impressive caffeine punch, similar to that in coffee.
A little bit of sweetener and the addition of fresh fruits gives this drink just the right amount of sweetness, while still making it a refreshing drink for hot days. Of course, feel free to adjust the recipe to your preference. A splash of fruit juice can make it a sweeter option, which may be more appealing to children.
Sparkling Raspberry Wine Tea
A sophisticated selection of white tea, red raspberries, and natural champagne flavors make this tea a fine choice. Fruity and floral notes mingle with delicate white tea for a light and fragrant cup. It works well hot or iced and can be combined with sparkling water and fruit juice for an easy, refreshing mocktail.
An Inclusive Patriotic Mocktail
This nonalcoholic drink is a great way to make sure everyone at your party can enjoy a patriotic drink. If you Google “4th of July drink recipes”, the majority of the top results contain cocktail recipes. We love layered drinks, but sometimes it can be difficult to make one without the addition of a liqueur such as blue curacao or artificial food dyes. This can make it hard to make sure there's something for everyone at the party.
This recipe is perfect for those who enjoy alcohol and those who don't - plus it's all natural! With a base of Sparkling Raspberry Wine tea, which has natural champagne flavors, this red, white and blue drink gives the taste of a raspberry wine without the addition of alcohol. Plus, using a mix of fresh red, white and blue fruits, no liqueurs or dyes are necessary. For maximum fizziness, we recommend adding your sparkling water to each glass as you serve the drink, rather than mixing everything together at once. This means you can have a non-alcoholic option with sparkling water, and an alcoholic option with sparkling white wine. A win for all!
Red, White and Blue Spritzer
- Servings: 4-5
- Yield: 4-5 servings
What You'll Need
- The Conflicted Iced Tea Brewer, or a large pitcher with paper tea bags
- 5 tbsp Sparkling Raspberry Wine tea
- 24oz hot 180 F water
- 20oz cold filtered water
- 22oz chilled seltzer water
- 4-6 tbsp sweetener
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup fresh strawberries
- 2-3 Apples
Steeping Instructions
STEP 1
Scoop 4-5 tbsp of Sparkling Raspberry Wine tea into your infuser basket or tea bag.
STEP 2
Pour 24oz of hot 180 F filtered water over your infuser or tea bag.
STEP 3
Let steep for 3 minutes, then remove the infuser or tea bag.
STEP 4
Add 4-6 tbsp of sweetener (optional) and mix until combined.
STEP 5
Top off your tea with 20oz of cold, filtered water.
STEP 6
Put into the fridge until ready to use.
Instructions
Step 1
Add 1 tbsp blueberries, 1 tbsp sliced strawberries, and 1 tbsp cup up apple pieces into your glass(es).
Step 2
Fill your glass(es) halfway with chilled Sparkling Raspberry Wine iced tea.
Step 3
Top off your glass(es) with chilled sparkling water or seltzer water.
Step 4
Garnish your glass with a fresh strawberry (optional) and enjoy!