Iced Ginger Lemon Tea (Mocktail)
Try this iced ginger lemon honey tea. It’s one of the perfect ginger lemon drinks to serve for a summer party or holiday. Since it’s made with fresh ginger, lemons, raw honey, apple juice and seltzer water it’s beneficial and refreshing.
I make a ginger lemon honey concentrate for my family whenever there is sickness in our house. My husband says that it keeps him feeling well even while he is sick.
I’ve started adding seltzer water to make it even more fancy. It’s like a honey ginger lemonade that keeps you feeling light and refreshed. So let’s talk about other ways to incorporate this healthy mock-tail into your life and how to make it!
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Ginger: It needs to be fresh raw ginger to receive the nutritional benefits and the full flavour of ginger. You should be able to find it in the herbs section of your grocery store.
- Fresh Lemons: Freshly squeezed gives the most benefits and taste. You could substitute for bottled lemon juice.
- Raw Honey: Raw honey has not been pasteurized is a natural sweetener and acts as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent.
- Apple Juice: It’s best to use pure apple juice not from concentrate. This acts as an added sweetener and dilutes the ginger lemon concentrate.
- Seltzer Water: Optional. You can add just water. It adds carbonation and also helps to dilute the ginger lemon concentrate.
- Ice: Just a few to keep the drink cool when served and create foam when you mix it.
Optional Ingredients
- Orange: Adds extra vitamin C and antioxidants and some sweetness.
- Kombucha: Use it to replace the seltzer water because it adds in a probiotic. I like to add live culture kombucha to this drink when we’re fighting sickness.
- Elderberry Syrup: Elderberry is nutritious and used to fight illness. You can buy an elderberry syrup at the health food store. I found elderberry vitamin C shots at Aldi and added 3 of them to my concentrate. Plus it makes the drink a lovely purple colour.
Benefits of: Lemons, Raw Ginger & Honey
Lemons: According to Healthline, there are six health benefits lemons provide:
- they may support heart health
- help with weight control
- prevent kidney stones
- protect against anemia
- reduce cancer risk
- improve digestive health
Ginger: Ginger contains high amounts of gingerol. Which has many medicinal properties.
- Helps boost brain function
- Ease nausea
- Help fight infections like the flu and cold
- Lower your cholesterol.
Gingerol has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on our bodies. It also aids in weight loss. I read in a study cited by Healthline, that it may lower blood sugar.
Honey: Raw uncooked honey has many nutritional benefits and is a natural sweetener. According to Mayo clinic honey has these effects and uses:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antibacterial agent
- People use honey orally to treat coughs
- Topically to treat burns and promote healing
How to Make Iced Ginger Lemon Honey Tea
Step 1: Prep Ginger & Honey
First prep your ginger in a blender or using a cheese grater.
- Blender Method: Peel the ginger and chop it into small chunks. Blend for 30 seconds until it’s in small pieces.
- Cheese Grater: Finely grate your ginger with the smallest size on your grater.
Then boil some water to steep the ginger in. Add the ginger to the hot water to steep for 10 minutes until slightly cooled.
Add in the honey and stir to dissolve. Don’t add the raw honey until the water has cooled to a warm temperature (under 95F).
Pour the ginger honey mixture into a jar.
Step 2: Juice Lemons & Mix Concentrate
Juice the 2 lemons and add to the ginger honey mixture. It should be about 1/3 cup of lemon juice.
Step 3: Mix the Drink
To a shaker cup to jar add:
- ½ cup ice
- ¼ cup ginger lemon honey concentrate
- ¼ cup apple juice
Shake vigorously for about 20-30 seconds. Then pour it into a large glass and top with seltzer water.
Tips & Substitutions
- Apple juice: Substitute the apple juice for your favourite flavour of kombucha.
- Add elderberry syrup: to enhance the cold and flu righting properties of this drink.
- Ginger: Finely grate it instead of using a blender. And feel free to strain it out. I like to drink all the pulp to make sure I’m getting all the benefits of ginger.
Iced Ginger Lemon Tea (Mocktail)
Ingredients
Ginger Lemon Honey Concentrate
- 1/4 Cup fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cup hot water
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 2 lemons juiced, about 1/3 cup
- Makes about 2 cups of concentrate
For the drink:
- ¼ cup ginger lemon concentrate
- 3/4 cup ice cubes 5 ice cubes
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/3 cup seltzer water or cold water
Instructions
Makes about 2 cups of concentrate
- Boil some water to steep the ginger in.
- Blender Method: Peel the ginger and chop it into small chunks. Steep it in hot water for 10 minutes. Once the temperature has cooled some blend it until it is finely ground. Add in the honey and stir to dissolve (don't add until water has reached 95F).
- Pour the ginger honey mixture into a mason jar.
- Juice the 2 lemons and add to the ginger honey mixture.
Mixing the Drink
- Add ¼ cup of concentrate, ice and apple juice to a shaker cup or a jar and close the lid.
- Shake vigorously (20-30 seconds) until a nice foam forms. Pour into a tall glass top with seltzer water and serve.