Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade
Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade combines the earthy, floral notes of butterfly pea flowers with bright, zesty lemon for a refreshing, naturally color-changing beverage that transitions from deep blue to vibrant purple when mixed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried butterfly pea flowers available at specialty tea shops or online
- 4 cups water divided
- ¼ cup honey or sugar adjust to taste
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice about 4-5 lemons
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices and mint sprigs for garnish
- Optional: 1 teaspoon culinary-grade lavender or 2 teaspoons dried lemongrass for flavor variations
Instructions
- Brew the butterfly pea tea: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add the dried butterfly pea flowers, and let steep for 5-10 minutes until the water turns a deep blue color. The longer you steep, the more intense the color will be.
- Strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or large measuring cup. Discard the flowers.
- Sweeten while warm: While the tea is still warm (but not hot), stir in your honey or sugar until completely dissolved. This ensures the sweetener incorporates evenly throughout the mixture.
- Add remaining water to the pitcher and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Prepare your lemon juice separately by squeezing fresh lemons. Strain out seeds and large pulp pieces.
- Assemble individual servings: Fill glasses halfway with ice cubes, then pour the blue butterfly pea tea until the glass is about ⅔ full.
- Create the color change: Pour 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into each glass and watch as the drink transforms from blue to purple!
- Garnish and serve with additional lemon slices and fresh mint for an extra pop of color and flavor.
Notes
- For a dramatic presentation, serve the butterfly pea tea and lemon juice separately, allowing guests to pour the lemon juice themselves and witness the color change.
- The intensity of the color depends on the concentration of your tea – for deeper blue, use more flowers or steep longer.
- You can prepare the butterfly pea tea concentrate up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
- For a more sophisticated version, add a splash of gin or vodka and a bit of elderflower liqueur.
- The tea itself has a mild, slightly earthy flavor that some compare to a very light green tea.