I come from a family of iced tea drinkers. I am the outlier on that front, as I am not much of an iced tea drinker. I prefer my tea hot and usually only drink it during the colder months of the year. Lemonade is my warm weather refresher.

I usually look for a new lemonade recipe every Summer. And I found some that I will be trying out in the upcoming weeks to post for National Lemonade Day next month. But during that search, I came across a version of iced tea that I decided to give a try. It was different from the norm, using both cherry and lime juice (both of which I like) for flavor boosts to the base of tea. I enjoyed the beverage as did the iced tea drinking family members that were my taste testers for the day.  This iced tea is a great option for the warm days and celebrations happening all Summer long!

Cherry Limeade Sweet Tea

Cherry Limeade Sweet Tea (adapted from tasteofhome.com)

Total Time Required: 20 minutes + chilling time, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Steep Time: 10 minutes, Makes: about 2-1/2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 6 tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1 cup cherry juice or cherry juice blend, chilled
• lime wedges and pitted dark sweet cherries for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep the tea, covered, for 10 minutes.

Boil the water, then steep the tea.

Discard the tea bags. Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved. Cool the sweetened tea slightly. Transfer it to a pitcher and refrigerate until cooled completely.

Add the sugar to the tea

Add the lime juice and cherry juice to the tea.

Add the lime juice and the cherry juice to the cooled tea.

Serve the tea over ice with lime wedges and cherries for garnish.

Garnish glasses of tea with lime wedges and fresh cherries.

Stay cool with a refreshing drink!  ~Linda

Cherry Limeade Sweet Tea (adapted from tasteofhome.com)  Total Time Required: 20 minutes + chilling time, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Steep Time: 10 minutes, Makes: about 2-1/2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 6 tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1 cup cherry juice or cherry juice blend, chilled
• lime wedges and pitted dark sweet cherries for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep the tea, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved. Cool the sweetened tea slightly. Transfer it to a pitcher and refrigerate until cooled completely.

Add the lime juice and cherry juice to the tea. Serve the tea over ice with lime wedges and cherries for garnish.