Elevate The Aesthetic Of Your Iced Tea Drinks With One Simple Addition

There's nothing quite as refreshing as a big gulp of ice-cold tea. However, there's a secret to achieving an elevated beverage: Simply add dried flowers and herbs to your brew. These ingredients are an easy way to impart a floral, refreshing taste. They're also perfect for taking a tea base you love, like black or green tea, and putting your own unique spin on it.

Choosing the right kind of dried flowers is key. After all, we don't recommend buying sprayed carnations from the grocery store and expecting to make floral tea. Ensure the flowers you source are non-toxic, edible varieties that haven't been sprayed with colors or chemicals for preservation.

Some edible varieties include echinacea, roses, hibiscus, calendula, and elderflowers. You can purchase ready-to-use dried florals and dried herbs from the grocery store — or, if you're up for the challenge (and have the patience), grow your own flowers and herbs before air-drying them to use in your creations. Better yet, you can learn how to make dried herbs without even turning on the oven. Whichever route you choose, you'll need to pick a tea base and a dried floral and herb combo to curate a one-of-a-kind brew.

Once your ingredients are gathered, follow these crucial tips for excellent homemade iced tea. Since your petals and herbs are loose (not in enclosed tea bags), you'll need a reusable tea steeper — we like this one by OXO — to hold the leaves while they infuse into the water. Typically, you'll use one teaspoon of loose tea or herbs for every eight ounces of water. This allows all the floral flavors to infuse while preventing large pieces from floating in the drink.

Fill the infuser with the designated dried mixture, place it over your mug or pitcher, and pour boiling water over it. Once the tea has steeped for the specified time on the package, remove the steeper and let the tea come to room temperature before placing it in the fridge to chill. Serve it over a glass of fresh ice, and add some sweetener like simple syrup, if desired.

As for flavor combinations, try green tea with rose. The earthy green tea pairs perfectly with the mild sweetness and fragrance of roses. Another great idea is to use hibiscus petals for a fun pink color that gives a fruity, tart flavor when combined with mild black tea and herby basil. For a honey-like creation, add elderflower to your tea blend. Its undertones, comparable to apricots and honeysuckle, make it the perfect complement to zingy, fresh mint and black or green tea.