Orange-Cranberry Sweet Iced Tea Cocktail
Prep Time:
10 mins.
Yield:
2 quarts
Sit on the porch and watch the sunset with this tasty tea cocktail. Strong tea balances the sweet orange juice and tart cranberry.
Ingredients
- 1 large navel orange
- 3 cups water, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Luzianne® Family Size Iced Tea bags*
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened cranberry juice, chilled
- 1 ½ cups orange juice, chilled, preferably freshly squeezed
- 2 cups vodka, chilled
- Orange wedges for garnish, optional
Directions
- Using a vegetable peeler remove the zest from the orange in long strips. Reserve the orange for another use.
- Prepare citrus syrup: Add the orange zest, 1 cup water and sugar to a small saucepot. Stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, about 90 seconds. Set aside to steep for 20 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the solids from the liquid, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Place in refrigerator to cool.
- While the syrup is cooling make a strong tea. In a pitcher, steep 2 tea bags in 2 cups boiling water for 10 minutes.* Remove and discard tea bags.
- Add the chilled fruit juices and the vodka to a large punch bowl. Add tea and chilled citrus syrup to taste, ½ to 1 cup. Garnish with orange wedges. Chill and serve over ice.
If omitting the vodka, increase the cranberry juice to 3 ½ cups and the orange juice to 2 ½ cups.
*Alternatively, steep 2 bags of Luzianne® Cold Brew Iced Tea in 2 cups cold water for 10 minutes.
