Grapefruit Mint Iced Green Tea is a revitalizing and refreshing drink sweetened with honey and I think this is the best Iced Green Tea! Using tea bags, this recipe couldn't be easier. And if you're up for the 8-hour wait, you can easily make this using the cold brew method too.
This Iced Green Tea is flavored with grapefruit, mint, lemon, honey, and orange for a round yet tart and refreshing experience. The combination of all the citrus fruits makes the difference.
And because I know how you think, I added how to super easily make this into the white wine sangria of the summer! And if you like that, you will love this mulled white wine for fall.
If you like this grapefruit and orange blend, I am confident you would also love this blood orange and grapefruit hot cider!
The reason why I came up with this recipe is a hot green tea by Lipton. Their green tea with citrus is flavored with grapefruit, lime, and lemon and it was amazing.
I believe it was the grapefruit that made this drink extra special. I am not sponsored in any way, but it was so good! But I knew I had to recreate it to fit a refreshing and cold summer drink.
Other cold and refreshing drinks are this iced herbal tea with hibiscus, mild guava white tea, or a new summery favorite is this raspberry rhubarb iced tea. My newest obsession is this roasted oolong milk tea, so creamy yet low-calorie!
Many of my cocktails also have instructions to make them into non-alcoholic mocktails such as a classic mojito and cucumber pomegranate lemonade. I also love to make my favorite cocktails into boozy popsicles!
Summer won't always be around, and sometimes we want hot tea to warm us up. You can of course serve this hot as well, or you can try this soothing sore throat tea with honey and ginger (caffeine-free).
What are the benefits of green tea?
Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you could drink. Loaded with antioxidants that can help improve brain function, promote fat loss, protect against cancer and lower the risk of heart diseases. It can also reduce bad breath, prevent type 2 diabetes and help you live longer!
Tea is rich in polyphenols, natural compounds that have various health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer.
Green tea also contains a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). These substances prevent cell damage and protect against aging and many types of diseases.
I know all this sounds like just a bunch of advanced words, but the bottom line is - green tea is good for you!
What are the benefits of grapefruit?
A superfruit that also tastes amazing, here are some of the health benefits of grapefruit:
- Good for hydration
- It's low in calories
- High in nutrients and antioxidants
- Rich in vitamin A and E which are immune-boosting
- Improves cholesterol levels
- Reducing the risk of kidney stones
- Lowering triglycerides
- Controls blood sugar
- Lowers blood pressure
- and it can even speed up healing wounds!
If you have any more grapefruit you want to use, I recommend baking them for a healthy breakfast. I've included 3 different recipes in this healthy baked grapefruit recipe. And for that special brunch, these beautiful elderflower grapefruit mimosas or grapefruit plum cocktails!
How to Make It
You don't have to make this iced green tea using the cold brew method. I usually don't! But cold brewing ensures that the green tea will be less acidic and potentially less bitter.
That is also why we have to wait for the water to be below 170F (75C) if we're using the 'hot brew' method. If the water temperature is higher than this, the green tea will release some bitter components, making it a more unpleasant experience.
Cold brewing is super simple though - it just takes time! Instead of hot water, simply start with cold water. Add the tea bags directly into the cold water and place this in the fridge overnight.
If you want to sweeten this drink with honey, I recommend boiling the water, adding honey so it can dissolve, and then cool completely. Then add in the green tea bags and chill overnight in the fridge.
For the impatient of us - use warm water. Compared to the 8hrs+ it takes to cold brew tea, using 170F (75C) water only takes 2-3 minutes. And it's easier to dissolve the honey.
You still need to wait for the iced tea to become - iced - but for the impatient of us, just simply pour the lukewarm tea with a bunch of ice cubes into a large glass.
I don't know if this is any 'better than the one from Starbucks' as I've never tried that one. What I do know is that this is my favorite iced green tea recipe and I urge you to give it a try!
We don't need those highly sweetened coffee house drinks, right? Perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day with mango and avocado summer rolls or a watermelon salad.
A summery white wine sangria
When I first made this iced green tea with citrus, I realized this would be perfect as a sangria as well! And bonus; it quickly serves 8 instead of 4.
I do it super simple here, and just pour chilled white wine and vodka into the chilled tea. You can leave this in the fridge for an additional 4 hours, to mellow the flavors even more - but I can never wait that long.
A sangria often uses a liqueur and sweet fruit as sweeteners, and this sangria uses vodka and citrus which are not that sweet themselves. That's when the honey comes into play. If you don't like a sweet sangria, you can simply leave it out too.
Sangria is often topped with something bubbly like prosecco or sparkling water. In this case, I think it would dilute the drink too much considering we're already using iced tea.
But of course, if you want to, top it with something bubbly! If you're ready for a red wine sangria, I highly recommend this cranberry orange sangria.
Did you like this iced green tea? Here are more refreshing summer drinks:
- Iced Hibiscus Tea
- Iced Black Tea with Ginger and Lemon
- Cucumber Pomegranate Lemonade
- Homemade Berry Cordial
- Classic Mojito
- Apricot Rosemary Gin Fizz
- + bonus for tea lovers: Earl Grey Ice Cream
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Grapefruit Mint Iced Green Tea (+ Sangria Recipe)
This Iced Green Tea with grapefruit, mint, lemon, honey and orange is round yet tart and refreshing. I've added a summery white wine sangria recipe too!
Ingredients
- 4 cups water (1 liter)
- 4 green tea bags (or 4 teaspoon loose)
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 3 sprigs fresh mint
- 4 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
To make sangria
- 1 bottle dry white wine (750ml)
- ¼ cup vodka (4 tbsp. Optional)
- prosecco or sparkling water (top top, optional)
Instructions
- Boil water and let it cool down to at least 170F (75C) before adding in the green tea bags. Brew for 2-3 minutes before removing the tea bags. You can use cold water too*, and let it brew overnight in the fridge (also known as cold brew).
- Add in zest and juice of the grapefruit, lemon and lime. Add in fresh mint and muddle with the backside of a wooden spoon to release the flavors.
- Pour in honey to taste and let it cool completely in the fridge. Strain into glasses and serve with ice cubes and more fresh citrus!
- To make sangria: Once the mixture has cooled, add in white wine and vodka if using. If you let this sit in the fridge for 4+ hours, it will be even better! Top with prosecco or sparkling water if desired. This serves 8.
Notes
* If you want to sweeten the tea with honey but still use the cold brew method, I recommend boiling water first to dissolve the honey in it. And once this is cold, add in the tea bags and leave in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 1g
Estimate for informational purposes only. Not included sangria recipe.
Dennis Edward
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Delicious and Refreshing drink for summer.Thanks for sharing.
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Saturday 1st of August 2020
Thank you so much!
Kari Alana
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
I love the colour s and flavours in your iced green tea. I actually love Iced green tea in the hot summer because it speeds up the metabolism while still cooking you down.
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
That is a wonderful added benefit to sipping iced green tea!
Lathiya
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
I love Iced tea. This grapefruit mint Iced green tea sounds perfect to sip on hot summer. Love the flavor of this drink.
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Thank you so much, Lathiya!
Diana
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
Loving the look of this refreshing sangria. I haven't met a sangria yet that I don't like, cheers!
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Me neither - cheers!
Katie
Tuesday 28th of July 2020
I absolutely love green tea and this sounds like a wonderful way to serve it! Can't wait to give it a go!
Katie xoxo
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Thank you so much, hope you'll like it!