How to Make an Iced Strawberry Sage Green Tea Latte
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My garden is overflowing, and two of the things that performed quite happily this season were my strawberries and my sage. Would you ever imagine combining these two flavors? In fact, one of the most refreshing drinks you could make is an iced strawberry sage green tea latte.
Starting with Strawberries
Strawberries tend to be finicky. You buy them and two hours later they’re starting to get soft. The best you can do is soak fresh berries in a bath of cool water and a bit of white vinegar. I also gently rub the little hairs off of them. This helps them stay fresh for longer.
However, for this latte, your berries don’t need to be at the peak of freshness. Even if they have gone a bit soft, they will work. Start by cleaning them and removing their stems and leaves. I also cut them in half. This isn’t necessary, but I find it to be meditative work.
Adding in Fresh Sage
Whether you’re pulling the sage from your garden or unpacking it from a store clamshell, it needs a rinse. The furry leaves repel water, so rinse off any surface dirt or bugs, and gently pat the leaves dry.
I like leaving my sage whole instead of cutting it up. This is only because it’s easier to fish out of the pot if I find the sage flavor is too strong. Some leaves hold more flavor than others, and even though there’s a measurement, you may want more or less.
If you’re gung-ho, you can cut your sage to expose the interior oils to the syrup. This may or may not help strengthen the flavor. I can’t really prove one way or the other.
How to Make Strawberry-Sage Syrup
The syrup is simple enough (haha, get it?). You’ll add equal parts sugar and water; I did 1 cup of each. This is a small batch recipe, but you’ll have plenty for several drinks. If you’re really into it, you can always make more.
To the pot of sugar and water, you’ll dump in those strawberries and sage. Bring the pot up to a simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, cover, and let it steep until the pot is cold. Now, all that’s left is to strain the syrup and bottle it up.
I keep my syrup in the fridge because it has fruit in it. It’s good for a while in the fridge. Due to the high concentration of sugar, your strawberry-sage syrup should be safe for up to a year as long as you keep it refrigerated.
The Green Tea Part of the Strawberry Sage Latte
While your syrup is simmering, you might want to start brewing your green tea. We will be making an iced cold latte, so we want to brew our tea and let it chill in the fridge. If we do the syrup and tea at the same time, they should both be cold around the same time. That makes for optimal assembly.
I also think it’s very important for the tea in a latte to be extra strong, so grab extra bags. Set up your kettle to bring the water to a boil. Water boils at 212ºF (100ºC). However, if you pour boiling water over your tea bags, you’ll scald it. The result is bitter, awful-tasting tea. Instead, once your water has boiled, let it cool to 185ºF (85ºC).
Pour 8 ounces of your hot water over 2 tea bags and allow it to steep for at least 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and move the tea to the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
Time to Assemble your Strawberry Sage Green Tea Latte
This recipe is for a large 32 oz latte. I’m here for great big summer refreshers. But if you’d rather serve this in pint glasses, you’ll have 2 servings.
In a quart jar, combine 1 cup of ice, 1 cup of cold green tea, 2 tablespoons of your strawberry sage syrup, and 1 cup of cold oat milk (or the milk of your choice). Add the lid, and give it a shake to combine. Drink straight from the jar with a straw, or pour into two pint glasses if you’re sharing.
The Tools You’ll Need for Your Latte
Here’s the Strawberry Sage Green Tea Latte tool kit. I really like my jars, can you tell?
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Iced Strawberry Sage Green Tea Latte
Equipment
- Quart Jar
- Pint Jar
- Sauce Pan
- Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 5 leaves sage
- 1 cup brewed green tea chilled
- ½ cup oat milk
Instructions
- Start by bringing the water, sugar, strawberries, and sage up to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover, and steep until totally cooled. Strain and pour into a pint jar with a lid. Chill until you're ready to make your latté.
- Fill a quart jar with ice. Pour 2 tablespoons of strawberry sage syrup into your jar. Add in 1 cup of chilled green tea. Pour in your oat milk. Stir to combine.
- Enjoy with a reusable straw!
