Sparkling Iced Chamomile Tea

Any iced tea is easy to make and refreshing on a hot sunny day. Why not make it chamomile iced tea with the added bonus of sparkling water for an extra refreshing drink.

1. All you need are a few bags of chamomile tea, a bottle of sparkling water, honey or sugar to add sweetness to the brew, and a few slices of lemon.

2. Put the tea bags in a pitcher and pour hot water over them. I use 4 bags to about 3 cups of water. Since I will be diluting the tea with the sparkling water, I want to make it stronger than I would for just a single cup of tea.

3. While I let it steep, I prepare everything else.

4. Once the tea is strong enough for my taste, I take the bags out and let it cool before adding the sparkling water. Here, I didn't wait long enough so the tea was still steaming when I added the water.

5. Finally, I add the honey. If you're using sugar I would suggest putting it in while the tea is still hot. It will dissolve faster. While honey may take long to dissolve in a cold drink, it's still easier than using sugar.

6. I put chamomile ice cubes into a tall glass (I prepared them a few days earlier while making a cup of hot chamomile tea) and pour the cooled drink over it.

7. Last but not least, I add the lemon. You can always add the lemon to the pitcher, but not everybody likes lemon in their tea so I add it separately.

And voila! You have a nice refreshing and healthy glass of iced chamomile tea.

Of course, if you're not fond of sparkling water, you can always leave it off, but I like the extra zing the bubbles add to the tea.

What type of tea do you prefer for your iced tea?