Sparkling Peach Sweet Tea Punch

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large punch bowl or beverage dispenser
• •Blender
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Wooden muddler or spoon
• •Large pitcher for tea

Instructions

1. 1

   Brew the sweet tea base

   Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. This is your simple syrup meeting your tea, all in one step. Add the tea bags and let steep for exactly 5 minutes. No longer. Over-steeped tea turns bitter and tannic, and no amount of sugar fixes that problem.

   Luzianne tea is the Louisiana standard, but any good orange pekoe works fine. Avoid flavored teas here because we want a clean canvas for the peaches.
2. 2

   Cool and dilute the tea

   Remove the tea bags without squeezing (squeezing releases bitter tannins). Add the remaining 4 cups of cold water to bring down the temperature. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 2 hours. The tea should be strong and sweet, almost too sweet on its own. The peaches and sparkling water will balance everything.

3. 3

   Make the fresh peach nectar

   Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut a small X in the bottom of each peach and blanch for 30 seconds. Transfer immediately to ice water. The skins will slip right off. Pit the peaches and cut into chunks. Add to a blender with the honey and lemon juice. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.

   Choose peaches that smell like peaches. If you can't smell them from across the room, they're not ripe enough. Let them sit on your counter for a day or two until they yield to gentle pressure.
4. 4

   Strain for silk

   Pour the peach puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract all the liquid. You want pure nectar here, no pulp or fibers. This step takes patience, but the result is a punch that drinks smooth as velvet. You should have about 2 cups of nectar. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

5. 5

   Muddle the mint

   Place the mint leaves in the bottom of your punch bowl or serving pitcher. Using a wooden spoon or muddler, press and twist gently to bruise the leaves and release their oils. You want fragrance, not destruction. The mint should look battered but not shredded. Smell your hands after. That's what you're adding to the punch.

6. 6

   Assemble the punch

   Pour the cold sweet tea over the muddled mint. Add the strained peach nectar and stir gently to combine. Taste it now. This is your moment to adjust. Need more sweetness? Add a touch of honey. Too sweet? A squeeze more lemon. Every batch of peaches is different, so every batch of punch needs tasting.

   At Lagniappe, we always set out the punch bowl and let guests add their own sparkling water. Keeps the fizz alive all afternoon.
7. 7

   Add the sparkle

   Just before serving, add ice to the punch bowl and pour in the chilled sparkling water. Stir once, gently. The bubbles are delicate and aggressive stirring knocks them flat. Garnish with fresh peach slices and mint sprigs floating on top. Ladle into glasses and watch your guests smile.

Chef Tips

• •For a crowd of 30, double the entire recipe. Better to have too much punch than watch the bowl run dry halfway through the party.
• •Freeze some of the finished punch (without sparkling water) in ice cube trays. Use these instead of regular ice to keep the punch cold without watering it down.
• •If fresh peaches aren't in season, frozen peaches work beautifully. Thaw them first and proceed as written. Don't even think about canned peaches in syrup.
• •For an adult version at evening parties, add 2 cups of bourbon or peach brandy along with the peach nectar. Adjust sweetness accordingly.

Advance Preparation

• •Sweet tea base can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavor actually improves with a day of rest.
• •Peach nectar holds for 24 hours refrigerated. After that, the color starts to brown and the fresh flavor fades.
• •Combine everything except the sparkling water up to 4 hours before serving. Add the fizz at the last possible moment.
• •Mint should be muddled fresh, no more than an hour before serving. It turns dark and bitter if it sits too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)