While foxhunting in Ireland, we discovered Barry’s Gold Blend Tea, which is the company’s flagship brand. This is the finest quality tea from the high mountain slopes of Kenya and the Assam Valley of India, which are skillfully selected for Gold Blend. We drink it as Irish breakfast tea, combined with cream and sugar for afternoon high tea, and we discovered it does great as a Southern Sweet Tea.
UK Tea Time
The British are serious about tea. So much so that British Standards — a national body that produces technical specifications for products and services — released an edict in 1980 on the official British guidelines for making the perfect cup of tea. Though some may disagree with the standard, the rules include the following: Use a porcelain pot and a ratio of two grams of tea per every 100 ml of water, brew for six minutes, maintain a temperature of 60 to 85 degrees Celsius (140 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit) when serving the tea, and add milk to the mug first if using tea that’s already been steeped.
Southern Sweet Tea
Here’s the recipe for the perfect southern sweet tea:
- 3 quarts cold water
- 4 pitcher-size cold brew tea bags
- Simple Sugar Mixture, recipe follows
- Lemon slices, for garnish
- Mint sprigs, for garnish
Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat, pour into a pitcher, and steep the tea bags about 5 minutes. Mix the sugar mixture into the iced tea. Mix well.
Pour the drink mix over ice cubes in a glass. Garnish with 2 lemon slices and a sprig of mint. Or add 2 sliced lemons and a few springs to a whole pitcher and serve up party style.
Simple Sugar Mixture:
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add sugar. Stir to combine.
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