Spice Free Green Tea Citrus Agua Fresca
This refreshing drink is everything you want on a warm day — bright, lightly sweet, and genuinely thirst-quenching without a single ingredient that could irritate a sensitive palate. The combination of freshly squeezed orange and lime juice with a pale, delicate green tea base creates a flavor that feels both sophisticated and completely approachable. Maple syrup steps in as the sweetener, dissolving beautifully into the warm tea and adding a gentle depth that plain sugar just can't match. A pinch of fine salt rounds out the citrus and keeps the whole thing from tasting flat — it's a small move that makes a big difference. Because every component here is naturally free of any heat or pungent spice, this is a drink the whole table can enjoy without hesitation. The steeping technique matters too: pulling the tea bags without squeezing them keeps any bitterness out of the final glass, so what you're left with is clean, smooth, and endlessly drinkable. Serve it over ice with a citrus slice and a sprig of mint for a presentation that looks far more effortful than it actually is.
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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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