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The hot weather has arrived, and Vancouver’s summer is in full swing. Summertime is synonymous with big pitchers of iced tea. But are you making sure that your glass is also helping you stay healthy? Cool off with a refreshing glass of iced tea, and follow these tips for making a great-tasting, healthy summer brew.

• Don’t limit yourself to plain black tea with lemon. All your favourite herbal and green teas are just as good when iced! Try Wespoint’s Hibiscus Herbal Teabags for a beautiful bright pink summer drink. Peppermint, Rooibos, Oolong, and Chamomile all make great iced teas too.
• Make it strong, but don’t steep too long. Cold drinks don’t have as much flavour as hot drinks, so you’ll want to brew your iced tea stronger than you like your hot tea. Brewing for too long can make tea bitter and lower the antioxidant content though, so add extra tea leaves instead of increasing brew time.
• Add some summer fruit. Try adding fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, cherries, melon, peaches, or other fruit to your iced tea for an extra flavour burst.
• In a hurry? You don’t have to reach for the powdered stuff. Just steem a small cup or teapot with twice as many tea leaves as usual for double the strength and double the speed. Fill your glass to the top with ice, and pour the hot tea over. The melting ice will dilute the strong tea and cool it all at once. **Use a plastic cup for this method!
• Try some baking alternatives. Westpoint’s Monk Fruit Powder is an all-naturally dried fruit product and has no refining steps whatsoever. The powdered extract has it’s own distinct flavour, so add it to your next cup of tea to see which flavour of tea pairs best with the Monk Fruit.
• Slurp up your antioxidants. The antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), helps to speed up the recovery of heart cells and minimizes cell death. Try Westpoint Naturals Jasmine Green Tea for unique flavour and healthy benefits.
• Make iced tea popsicles! If liquid water still isn’t cold enough to beat the heat, break out your popsicle moulds. Iced tea popsicles are even better (and healthier!) than the juice pops you made as a kid.

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