Cold-Brew Black Tea Arnold Palmer with Charred-Lemon Lemonade

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The half-tea, half-lemonade classic, rebuilt so neither half tastes like a compromise. The tea is cold-brewed overnight, which pulls out all the malty depth and none of the tannic bite that makes most iced tea taste stewed. The lemonade gets its backbone from lemons seared cut-side-down in a dry skillet until blistered — caramelized sugars and toasted oils that give the pitcher a faintly smoky, almost marmalade edge. Mixed one-to-one over plenty of ice, it's the porch drink you remember, only clearer, rounder, and far less sweet.

Ingredients

• 6 cup cold filtered water
• 6 bag black tea bags (Ceylon, Assam, or English breakfast), or 2 tablespoons loose-leaf
• 1 pinch baking soda (about 1/16 teaspoon)

• 8 lemons (about 1 cup juice)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 strip lemon peel, wide strips shaved from a lemon before juicing
• 4 cup cold water
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• ice cubes, plenty
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin wheels
• 1 small bunch fresh mint sprigs (optional)

• 2 tbsp honey, for those who like it sweeter

Instructions

1. Start the tea the night before. Combine the 6 cups cold filtered water, the tea bags (or loose leaves in a large infuser), and the pinch of baking soda in a pitcher or large jar. Stir once, cover, and refrigerate 12 to 16 hours. The baking soda neutralizes just enough acidity to keep the brew from clouding as it chills.
2. Lift out the tea bags without squeezing them — squeezing forces out bitter tannins — or strain the loose leaves through a fine-mesh sieve. Keep the finished tea refrigerated. You should have about 6 cups of clear, deep-amber tea.
3. Before juicing, shave 2 wide strips of peel from one lemon with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith. Set aside for the syrup.
4. Halve 6 of the lemons crosswise. Heat a dry cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over medium-high for 3 minutes, until a drop of water skitters. Blot the cut faces of the lemons dry with a paper towel, then lay them cut-side down in the dry pan and press gently with a spatula.
5. Cook the lemons undisturbed 4 to 6 minutes, until the cut faces are deeply browned in patches and smell toasty and jammy — you want blistering, not black ash. Transfer to a plate and let cool 10 minutes; they will be very hot and juicy.
6. Meanwhile, make the syrup: combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the reserved lemon peel strips in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar fully dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let it boil hard. Remove from heat and let the peel steep in the syrup as it cools, at least 15 minutes, then discard the peel.
7. Juice the charred lemon halves plus the 2 remaining raw lemons through a strainer into a measuring cup — you want 1 cup total juice. The charred juice is thicker and cloudier than usual; that is the point. The raw lemons keep the flavor bright.
8. In a large pitcher (3 quarts or more), stir together the lemon juice, the cooled lemon syrup, the pinch of salt, and 4 cups cold water. Taste: it should be assertively tart, since the tea will soften it. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 30 minutes.
9. To serve, fill tall glasses to the top with ice. Pour the cold lemonade in first, filling each glass halfway, then top with an equal pour of cold-brew tea — poured slowly over the ice, it will float in a distinct layer for a moment before you stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a mint sprig, and whisk in a little honey only if someone asks for it.
10. For a big-batch pitcher, combine the tea and lemonade in equal parts (about 5 3/4 cups each) in a 1-gallon pitcher, stir, and serve over ice within 2 days.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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