Sparkling Jasmine Green Tea with Orange and Pomegranate

It is that time of year again! I am so excited to be part of the Virtual Vegan Potluck again! It is always a truly inspiring day. I get so many ideas of things I want to try and make. A quick thanks to everyone that has worked so hard to put this together. And thanks to the other bloggers for inspiring me.

This year I decided to go for a beverage. Here in Colorado it is finally starting to act like summer. I can imagine myself sitting by the pool sipping on a yummy fruity beverage already.

Since I have been on a cleanse the past couple days, I have been trying to come up with a way to naturally sweeten things. This drink is inspired by that and by catching some sun by the pool.

I also been really into tea infused drinks. So here is all of my inspirations come together. I love how the orange flavor compliments the jasmine tea in this drink. The pomegranate really brightens everything up and really makes it feel like summer. It isn’t an overly sweet beverage, which I like about it. If you are not on a cleanse and would like to make this an adult beverage, you could add some vodka. Or if you would like it a bit sweeter you could use some lemon lime soda instead of sparkling water.

Sparkling Jasmine Green Tea with Orange and Pomegranate

Serves 2

4 Jasmine Phoenix Pearl tea bags or your favorite jasmine tea bags
2 cups water
1 orange
1 cup Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
Couple splashes sparkling water or lemon lime soda, if you would like it sweeter
Ice

Bring water and tea bags to a boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Bring pomegranate juice to a boil until it has reduced by half. Remove from heat and let cool completely. To speed up the cooling process, you can stick this stuff in the fridge or freezer for 10-20 minutes.

Juice your orange. You may want to cut a slice off for presentation.

Add ice to 2 serving glasses, and pour half of cooled tea, pomegranate juice and orange juice into each glass. Add a splash or 2 of sparkling water or lemon lime soda.

Cut your orange slice into quarters and slide a slice on the rim of the glass.

I hope you enjoyed my contribution to this potluck! And I hope you are having a great time browsing through all these amazing recipes. Now go and enjoy some more creative and delicious looking food!