Artificial Food Coloring Free Green Tea Citrus Agua Fresca
This refreshing drink is everything a warm-weather beverage should be — bright, lightly sweet, and layered with flavor from real citrus and delicately steeped green tea. Every drop of color in the glass comes from actual ingredients: pale gold-green tea, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a squeeze of lime. There's no dye, no artificial flavoring, and no mystery syrups — just whole, recognizable components you can feel good about pouring for anyone at the table. Maple syrup brings a gentle sweetness that plays beautifully against the tartness of the citrus, and a pinch of fine salt quietly ties everything together in a way that makes the flavors pop. The technique is simple — steep, chill, juice, combine — and the result looks stunning in a glass with a citrus wheel and a sprig of fresh mint. It's the kind of drink that feels fancy enough for a gathering but easy enough to make on a Tuesday afternoon just because you're thirsty.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the green tea base
- 4 cups water
- 4 green tea bags
- 3 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
For the citrus blend
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 medium oranges)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
- 2 cups cold water
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For serving
- 1 cup ice cubes, for serving
- 4 thin orange or lime slices, for garnish (optional)
- 4 fresh mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. Add the green tea bags and steep for 3 minutes, until the tea is a clear, pale gold-green color. Remove and discard the bags — do not squeeze them, as this releases bitter tannins.
- 2
Stir the maple syrup into the hot tea until fully dissolved. Let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, at least 10 minutes.
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