Summertime Mocktails: Butterfly Blue Lemonade

Feelin’ The Blues

Are you ready to add a little spark to your Fourth of July celebration? This refreshing drink is as fun to make as it is to sip. Hailing from Southeast Asia, Butterfly-pea flower tea is caffeine-free and full of antioxidants. It also happens to make the most beautiful cup of blue tea you’ve ever seen. But don’t let the color fool you into thinking it tastes anything like other blue-hued beverages. It actually boasts a wonderful earthy flavor, very much like green tea.

But there’s a bit of magic in these leaves. When you mix this tantalizing tea with anything containing citric acid, like lemon or lime juice, the blue transforms to colors ranging from a bright purple to a vivid magenta.

For our summertime mocktail, we layer the tea onto lemonade to create a dazzling effect. Swirling the colors together combines the earthy flavor of the tea with the sweet lemonade for a beautifully balanced mocktail.

Directions:

Make a cup of Butterfly-pea flower tea according to the instructions. Set aside to cool.

Mix a cup of fresh lemonade and add honey to create a thicker viscosity.

Fill a glass with ice and add the lemonade.

Slowly top with the tea — pour it over a spoon to keep it from mixing. It will create three layers of color.

Mix it all together.

Garnish and serve!

Hint: If you really want to get star spangled, start with a layer of red rooibos tea, then add the lemonade, and finally, the Butterfly-pea flower tea. You can keep it layered or mix it up for a triple threat of flavor and fun!

Nutrition Facts:

Facts may vary depending on your personal lemonade recipe

Serving Size: 1 cup
Makes one cup