The family and I took a summer road trip and Bigelow Tea kept us all refreshed and hydrated throughout our entire trip!
Being from Kentucky, we drink a lot of southern sweet tea. We also use a lot of mint in our tea. I have a mint plant that I use to make mint sweet tea when it’s hot out and I want something extra refreshing. Mint sweet tea would be super good after a long, hot day of walking through Gatlinburg or hiking through Cades Cove. But I don’t want to pack a mint plant or leaves on vacation. So, for making mint sweet tea on our recent trip to Tennessee, I needed something more portable. And I found just what I needed at Walmart! I want to tell you about this Bigelow Tea that I found that made having mint sweet tea on vacation super easy. #AmericasTea #CollectiveBias
Our local Walmart carries various flavors and varieties of Bigelow Tea right in the same section as plain tea bags and coffee. For my mint sweet tea I like the Plantation Mint. It is made of Black Tea and Spearmint and absolutely perfect for what I needed.
Bigelow tea bags come in foil pouches which make them perfect for traveling and long car rides! I can make us all a mug of tea in travel mugs and we are good to go. I used one packet per mug to make the individual mugs of mint sweet tea. I just steeped the tea bag in hot water as you normally would and then added a teaspoon of sugar and some ice. I made it right in the travel mugs which saved time and cleanup so we could get out the door and on our way to our vacation quicker. Taking a drink along as we head out the door or bringing tea bags and a thermos of hot water saves time and money on the road. We don’t have to spend a fortune buying drinks at gas stations or rest areas. Bigelow Tea is definitely part of our road trip survival kit (along with a first aid kit, vehicle emergency kit, travel itinerary in my travel binder and directions)! In fact, my travel mug filled with minty sweet tea made from Bigelow Plantation Mint and my travel binder are the first things I put in my seat when we head out on a trip.
Once at our cabin, I made an entire pitcher of Mint Sweet Tea to have with meals and after a long day of walking and touring. The box of Bigelow Plantation Mint tea that we found only has 20 tea bags so I probably wouldn’t make an entire pitcher of it regularly at home. But for vacation, it works perfectly. Otherwise, at home, the individual tea bags would be used for individual mugs of tea when we want something minty without a lot of fuss.
For a pitcher of Mint Sweet Tea I used 12 Bigelow Plantation Mint tea bags, 1 quart of boiling water, 1 quart of cold water and 1 1/2 – 2 cups sugar. We like it really sweet in Kentucky! We also like to make Berry Mint Sweet Tea. It is really easy too and the berries add a little extra something to make the tea even more refreshing in the summer.
For Berry Mint Sweet Tea, I just make up a berry simple syrup to pour into individual glasses. I do make this ahead of time, pour it in a tightly sealed plastic container and toss it in the cooler. It travels well and we can add it to individual glasses of tea on vacation. I’ve included the recipes for both my Mint Sweet Tea and Berry Simple Syrup below.
Ingredients
Mint Sweet Tea
- 12 Bigelow Plantation Mint Tea Bags
- 1 Quart Boiling Water
- 1 Quart Cold Water
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda (optional - see note below)
- 1 TBSP Berry Simple Syrup (optional for Berry Mint Tea)
*Berry Simple Syrup*
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Blueberries
- 10 - 12 Strawberries - halved
Instructions
Mint Sweet Tea
- Bring 1 quart water to a boil
- Pour over tea bags
- Steep for 5 minutes
- Remove tea bags (*do NOT squeeze tea bags* or you'll have bitter tea)
- Add 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
- Add 1 tsp baking soda (optional)
- Stir until sugar is dissolved
- Add 1 quart cold water
- Stir.
- Pour over a glass of ice and enjoy!
Berry Simple Syrup
- Bring 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup blueberries and strawberry halves to a boil
- Reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Gently mash blueberries with back of spoon to release juice
- Cool for 3 minutes
- Strain into container with lid
- Refrigerate. Can be kept in refrigerator for a week and added to tea and other beverages.
- Strained fruit solids can be tossed out or served over pancakes or ice cream!
Notes
The addition of 1 tsp of baking soda helps to eliminate a bitter aftertaste.
To make Berry Mint Tea, add 1 TBSP of Berry Simple Syrup to your glass of tea and stir
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below letting us know you made this recipe. Then tag @cinnamonhollow on Instagram and hashtag it #cinnamonhollowrecipes
Aside from the great flavor of this tea and that it is easy to take along on a road trip, I LOVE that Bigelow Tea is an American company, family owned. I can’t wait to take it along on all our future road trips!
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Be sure to check out the Bigelow Tea’s Made in the U.S.A. Sweepstakes. They are hosting a sweepstakes in which 12 winners will receive a grand prize consisting of:
A Plantation Mint Tea for Two gift set with two (2) personali-tea mugs, forty-four (44) Plantation Mint tea bags, and one (1) 3-ounce jar of Savannah Bee Company honey (ARV $34.95 ea. winner USD).
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more
Tea for the road is an excellent idea! Your recipe with Bigelow Tea sounds fantastic and is added to my summer drink recipes! #client