Here’s a refreshing summer drink for anyone nostalgic for their childhood lemonade stand. The quintessential quencher traditionally made with unsweetened iced black tea gets an aromatic twist in this recipe thanks to jasmine green tea. Sugary, tangy, and cold, it’s perfect for batching and keeping in the fridge all week to share with friends and neighbors—for 25 cents a cup, of course. —Sarah Jampel
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4
Ingredients
5
2
½
¼
4
Preparation
Step 1
Place tea bags in a large bowl and pour in 4½ cups room-temperature water; let sit 1 hour. Remove and discard tea bags. Pour ½ cup tea into a measuring glass; set aside at room temperature. Chill remaining tea.
Step 2
Meanwhile, remove zest from lemons in long strips with a vegetable peeler ; set lemons aside. Combine zest, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and massage together with your hands until zest is limp and sugar is damp, about 1 minute. Let sit 1 hour.
Step 3
Transfer lemon zest mixture to a small saucepan and add reserved ½ cup tea. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Let lemon simple syrup cool. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher and discard solids.
Step 4
Squeeze juice from reserved lemons through sieve into another measuring glass until you have ½ cup juice; discard solids. Add juice to pitcher along with chilled tea; stir to combine.
Step 5
Divide drink among ice-filled glasses and garnish each with a lemon wheel if desired.