Peach Thyme Iced Tea Spritzer

Name: Peach Thyme Iced Tea Spritzer
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 bags (8 g) black tea bags, regular-size, such as English breakfast or orange pekoe; 2 cups (480 ml) water, freshly boiled; 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar; 2 medium (about 10 oz total) (300 g) ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices, skin on; 8 sprigs (10 g) fresh thyme sprigs, each about 4 inches (10 cm) long; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon, seeds removed; 2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, very cold, from a freshly opened bottle; 4 cups (500 g) ice cubes; 1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) ripe peach, pitted and cut into 8 thin wedges; 4 sprigs (5 g) fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Strong black tea is poured over muddled ripe peaches, fresh thyme and a little sugar, chilled, then topped with sparkling water. The result is a fruity, herbal, lightly sweet nonalcoholic spritzer that is vegan and easy to make for a crowd.

Prep: 24 min
Cook: 5 min
Wait: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 1 hr 34 min
Makes: 4 glasses (about 10 oz / 300 ml each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the tea base
4 bags (8 g) black tea bags, regular-size, such as English breakfast or orange pekoe
2 cups (480 ml) water, freshly boiled
3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
2 medium (about 10 oz total) (300 g) ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices, skin on
8 sprigs (10 g) fresh thyme sprigs, each about 4 inches (10 cm) long
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon, seeds removed
To serve
2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, very cold, from a freshly opened bottle
4 cups (500 g) ice cubes
1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) ripe peach, pitted and cut into 8 thin wedges
4 sprigs (5 g) fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

Equipment (7)

Small saucepan or kettle
Heatproof 1-quart (1 liter) pitcher or large heatproof bowl
Wooden spoon or cocktail muddler
Fine-mesh strainer
Cutting board and paring knife
Measuring cups and spoons
4 tall glasses, 12 oz (355 ml) or larger

Steps

Before you start

Use ripe peaches that smell sweet and give slightly when pressed. Underripe peaches will make a pale, bland spritzer.
Plan for about 1 hour 35 minutes in total. Most of that is steeping and chilling time.
Chill the sparkling water in the fridge so it is cold when you serve. Warm soda goes flat faster and melts the ice.
Wash the peaches and thyme and pat them dry before you start.

1
Prep the fruit and herbs
- Cut 2 peaches in half around the pit, twist apart, and remove the pits.
- Cut the halves into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices and place them in a heatproof 1-quart (1 liter) pitcher.
- Cut the third peach into 8 thin wedges for garnish and set aside on a plate.
- Add 8 thyme sprigs to the pitcher with the sliced peaches.
- Keep the 4 garnish thyme sprigs separate.
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Ready when: Peach slices are even and the pits are removed
Tip: Leave the skins on. They add pink color and flavor to the spritzer.
2
Boil the water
- Bring 2 cups (480 ml) of water to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan or kettle over high heat, about 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break the surface continuously
3
Steep the tea
- Drop the 4 tea bags into a second heatproof bowl or the saucepan once it is off the heat, and pour in the boiling water.
- Steep for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove the bags without squeezing them, which keeps the tea from turning bitter.
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Ready when: Tea is deep amber-brown and clear
Tip: Set a timer. Steeping longer than 5 minutes makes the tea bitter and tannic.
4
Muddle peaches and thyme
- Add the sugar and lemon juice to the pitcher with the peaches and thyme.
- Press and twist with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon for about 1 minute.
- Stop when the peach slices are broken down into a chunky, juicy mash and the thyme smells strongly herbal.
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Ready when: Peaches are mashed, juicy and the sugar has started to dissolve
Tip: Press the thyme gently. Pounding it hard tears the leaves and can make the drink taste grassy.
5
Combine and stir
- Pour the hot tea over the muddled peach mixture and stir for 30 seconds, until the sugar has fully dissolved and no grains remain on the bottom of the pitcher.
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Ready when: Sugar is dissolved and the liquid is cloudy and peach-colored
6
Chill the base
- Let the pitcher sit on the counter for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 50 minutes, until completely cold.
- The peaches and thyme infuse the tea as it chills.
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Ready when: Pitcher is cold to the touch and smells of peach and thyme
Tip: Do not add the sparkling water until the base is fully cold, or it will go flat.
7
Strain the base
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a second pitcher or large bowl and pour in the chilled tea.
- Press the peach pulp with the back of a spoon to extract the juice, then discard the pulp and thyme.
- You should have about 2¼ cups (540 ml) of peach tea base.
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Ready when: Liquid is smooth with only tiny peach bits
Tip: Strain once more through the same sieve if you want a clearer drink.
8
Assemble and serve
- Fill 4 tall glasses with 1 cup (125 g) of ice each.
- Pour about ½ cup (120 ml) of the peach tea base into each glass, then top each with ½ cup (120 ml) of cold sparkling water.
- Stir once, gently, from the bottom up.
- Tuck 2 peach wedges and 1 thyme sprig into each glass and serve right away.
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Ready when: Glasses are filled with fizzing bubbles and the tea is a bright amber-peach color
Tip: Pour the sparkling water down the side of the tilted glass to keep as many bubbles as possible.

Good to know

Tips

Make sure the base is cold before adding the sparkling water, so the bubbles last longer.
Taste the strained base before serving. If your peaches were not very sweet, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons more sugar or maple syrup.
For a clearer, less cloudy drink, strain the base through a coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth.
Add 1 tablespoon of the base to a glass of sparkling water for a lighter, less sweet version.

Make ahead

"The strained peach tea base can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Add ice and sparkling water only when you are ready to serve."

Storage & reheating

"Store the strained tea base in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shake or stir before using. Assembled spritzers are best drunk immediately and do not keep, because they go flat. Room temperature: not recommended for more than 2 hours. Freezer: freeze leftover base in ice cube trays for up to 2 months and use the cubes in iced tea or thaw in the fridge before serving."

Substitutions

ripe peaches → 1½ cups (225 g) thawed frozen peach slices. Use thawed peaches with their juices. Reduce the sugar to 2 tbsp (25 g) if the frozen fruit is packed in syrup.
granulated sugar → maple syrup or agave nectar, 3 tbsp (45 ml). Both are vegan. Stir them into the hot tea until dissolved. Maple adds a subtle caramel flavor.
black tea bags → 4 tsp (8 g) loose-leaf black tea. Steep in a tea infuser or strain it out after 5 minutes.
fresh thyme sprigs → fresh basil or rosemary, 6 sprigs of rosemary or 10 large basil leaves. Use the same weight of rosemary, but only 3 sprigs if the rosemary is thick and woody, since it is stronger.