A cool morning at the beginning of September is what we call 'false-fall', and people in the south know 'second-summer' with the heat and humidity is coming back soon.   As we head into Labor Day weekend, and the unofficial end of summer, I thought I would share the following note with you from a dear friend who is a huge Oliver Pluff fan.  I hope you enjoy it and use it to help you pick you favorite  end of summer iced and cold brew teas.  Please let me know your favorite way of making iced tea.   

Have a great Labor day Weekend!

~Oliver

Sitting here at the neighborhood pool in late summer, with cool fall days still in the distant future here in Charleston, I longingly wish I had a cold pitcher of Iced Oliver Pluff ready in my refrigerator. Just yesterday, I made a batch of traditional Iced Tea using Oliver Pluff Southern Style Iced tea and stirred in exactly 2/3 cup sugar while hot, definitely my go-to beverage for summer. The delicate sweetness along with seven minutes of steep time, create the perfect summer blend. Yet, that is exactly it – everyone loves my summer Oliver Pluff staple. The entire pitcher is gone within hours, my family all filling ice-filled glasses as soon as they see the enticing brew. It is simply a summer classic.

As I sit in my lounger, kids and teens splashing everywhere, I ponder the Sun Tea I vow to make tomorrow. I won’t let this tea-lessness happen again. Tomorrow, I will prepare before we head out on our daily pool adventure. I will grab a glass container, toss in one of my Oliver Pluff Raspberry Sun Tea bags, fill it with clean spring water, and drop it on the porch on our way. Just knowing my favorite beverage will be waiting will give me the strength to fill the SUV with pool toys and head out. When we arrive home, my glass pitcher will be perfectly brewed after our 3 to 5 hour pool afternoon. While it is still sun-warm, I will stir in our favorite amount of sugar and we will all sit on the porch sipping our fresh, homemade tea and continue our lazy summer afternoon.

I continue to dream about delicious tea recipes and realize I need a different plan for our upcoming car trip to the mountains. This time, I think I will make some Blackberry Cold Brew for our journey. Along with the usual trip preparations, I know we will need refreshments and my family will enjoy an ice-filled thermos with the mellow, smooth brew from the cold method. The night before I will fill a pitcher with 2 quarts of cold, clean spring water and place 4 tablespoons of loose tea into a tea filter and close tightly. After adding the filter to the pitcher, I will steep it overnight in the refrigerator. As we are packing up the next morning, I will pour the mild tea into our ice-filled thermos. No need to sweeten it as the cold brew method allows the sweetness of the tea leaves to shine though!  I know this version is called Mizudashi or water infusion and to me it is simply the easiest there is and a go to for busy people.

 Thank goodness Oliver Pluff has so many wonderful teas to choose from. Each one offers differences in taste and aroma. I prefer traditional black or sometimes fruity for our summer teas, but many work well in Iced Tea, Sun Tea, or even the slow Cold Brew versions.