Ingredients:

  • 3 cups filtered water (710 ml)
  • 3 teaspoons loose leaf Jasmine green tea (or 3 tea bags)
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced thin (~5 cm)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60 ml)
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons natural sweetener (Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave)
  • Ice, as needed
  • Lemon slices, optional (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1.5 cups of the filtered water to a gentle boil. Remove from heat immediately. Add the sliced fresh ginger to the hot water, cover, and allow it to steep for 10 minutes to extract maximum spice and aroma.
  2. After the ginger has steeped, bring the remaining 1.5 cups of water to the desired brewing temperature (approximately 175°F/80°C for green tea) to prevent bitterness. Add the jasmine tea (loose leaf or bags) directly to the water. Steep for 3 to 4 minutes—do not over-steep.
  3. Pour the freshly brewed jasmine tea into the large heat-proof pitcher. Strain the hot ginger water (removing the ginger slices) into the same pitcher, combining the two concentrated liquids.
  4. While the mixture is still warm, stir in the sweetener (using 1.5 Tbsp for nutritional estimation) until fully dissolved. Add the fresh lemon juice and stir well.
  5. Allow the pitcher to cool slightly on the counter for 15 minutes. To speed up the process, transfer the pitcher to the refrigerator and chill completely for at least 90 minutes.
  6. Once fully chilled, serve the iced tea over plenty of ice, garnishing each glass with a fresh slice of lemon.