Lychee Jasmine Tea Cooler
A fragrant, nonalcoholic shaken cooler that pairs floral jasmine green tea with juicy lychee and a bright squeeze of lime. Shaking with ice chills it fast and gives it a light, frothy top.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Wait
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- 4 drinks (about 8 oz / 240 ml each)
Steps
Before you start
- Open the can of lychees and drain it over a bowl, saving the syrup. You need both the fruit and the syrup.
- Jasmine green tea turns bitter in boiling water, so bring the water to a boil, then let it sit 3 to 4 minutes to reach about 175°F (80°C) before brewing.
- The tea must be fully cold before shaking, or the ice will melt too fast and water down the drinks.
- A standard shaker holds about 2 drinks at a time, so you will shake in two batches.
Make the simple syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.
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Ready when: The liquid is completely clear with no visible sugar grains.
Tip: Don't let it boil hard or it will reduce and become too sweet.
Brew the teaOven 175°F / 80°C
- Place the jasmine tea in a heatproof jug or teapot.
- Pour in 2 cups (480 ml) of 175°F (80°C) water.
- Steep for exactly 3 minutes, then strain out the leaves.
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Ready when: The tea is pale golden-green and smells strongly of jasmine.
Tip: Steeping longer than 3 minutes makes the tea bitter and drying.
Chill the tea
- Set the jug of tea in a large bowl of ice water, or refrigerate it.
- Stir occasionally.
- Leave the syrup to cool alongside it.
- You need about 1½ cups (360 ml) of tea; discard any extra or keep it for sipping.
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Ready when: The tea feels cold to the touch of the jug and no steam rises.
Tip: Don't skip this: warm tea will melt the ice and make a diluted drink.
Prep lychees and limes
- While the tea cools, juice about 3 limes to get 6 tbsp (90 ml) and strain out seeds.
- Cut one more lime into 4 thin wheels.
- Drain the lychees over a bowl, measure ½ cup (120 ml) of the canned syrup, and set aside 4 lychees for garnish.
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Tip: If a lychee still has a pit, remove it with the tip of a small knife before muddling.
Prepare the glasses
- Fill 4 tall glasses with ice and set them aside to chill.
- Thread each garnish lychee onto a pick if desired.
Muddle the lychees
- For each batch of 2 drinks, put 4 lychees in the shaker and press and twist with the muddler 5 or 6 times until broken into a rough, juicy pulp.
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Ready when: The lychees are broken up with no whole fruit left, and the shaker smells sweet and floral.
Tip: Press gently; crushing too hard turns the fruit into a paste that clogs the strainer.
Add liquids and shake
- To the shaker, add ¾ cup (180 ml) cold tea, ¼ cup (60 ml) lychee syrup, 3 tbsp (45 ml) lime juice and 1½ tbsp (22 ml) simple syrup.
- Add 1½ cups (about 225 g) ice, seal, and shake hard for 15 seconds.
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Ready when: The outside of the shaker is frosty and too cold to hold comfortably, and the drink is slightly foamy.
Tip: Hold the lid firmly while shaking so it doesn't pop open.
Strain and serve
- Discard the ice from the serving glasses if it has melted much, refill with fresh ice, and strain the drink into 2 glasses through the shaker strainer.
- Garnish each with a lime wheel, a skewered lychee and a mint leaf or two.
- Rinse the shaker, then repeat the muddling and shaking for the second batch.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: The drinks are pale, cloudy and ice cold, with a bright floral aroma.
Tip: Taste the first batch; if you want it sweeter, add 1 more teaspoon of simple syrup to the second.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a good-quality jasmine tea: pearls or loose leaf give a more fragrant, less grassy flavor than most bags.
- Fresh lime juice matters; bottled juice tastes flat next to the delicate jasmine and lychee.
- For a fizzy version, shake with only half the tea, strain, and top each glass with about ¼ cup (60 ml) cold sparkling water.
- Chill the serving glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes for an extra-crisp drink.
Make ahead
Brew and chill the tea up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Make the simple syrup up to 1 week ahead. Juice the limes the same day for the best flavor.
Storage & reheating
Best served immediately. Unshaken tea and syrup keep in the fridge for 1 day (tea) and 1 week (syrup). Leftover shaken drink, strained off the ice, keeps covered in the fridge up to 1 day; it loses its froth, so re-shake with fresh ice before serving. Not suitable for freezing as a finished drink, but leftover lychees can be frozen in their syrup for 1 month.
Substitutions
- loose-leaf jasmine green tea → 4 jasmine green tea bags. Steep the same 3 minutes, and discard the bags without squeezing them.
- canned lychees in syrup → fresh lychees, peeled and pitted. Add an extra 2 tbsp (30 ml) simple syrup, since fresh fruit has no canned syrup.
- fresh lime juice → fresh lemon juice. Gives a slightly softer, sweeter tartness; use the same amount.
- granulated sugar → honey (2 tbsp / 40 g) dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water. Adds a floral note, but is a little stronger tasting than simple syrup.
