Handcrafted sips of any kind are my cup of tea. There is a true art behind signature tea blends and craft cocktails that make my taste buds sing. But maybe I'm biased...
Last year, I skipped over to P'unk Ave in Philly for a Junto discussion about The Craft Cocktail. It was a true treat to hear Felicia D'Ambrosio (fabulous Philly food writer and fermentation enthusiast), Mike Welsh (co owner The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company) and Andrew Auwerda (president Philadelphia Distilling) share thoughts and tales about the resurgence, roots and culture of craft distilling and craft cocktails. By the end of the night I left feeling a bit giddy and excited for my continued journey in the world of the crafted drink.
That evening inspired me to research the man behind the first Junto club in Philadelphia, Mr. Ben Franklin. After a bit of edible exploration, it was clear that Franklin was crazy for cranberries and addicted to apples. His favorite flavors led me to create Franklin's Fix, a blend of ceylon black tea, freshly sliced NY apples, dried cranberries (although I would search for the unsweetened bag next time), and a dab of local PA honey.
The roots of handmade sips run deep in my City Brotherly of Brotherly Love, and are starting to sprout signs of green curiosity as folks begin to bring back the art of the handmade and the handcrafted. Just another reason why I'll continue down this new path of signature tea blends.
Franklin's Fix Iced Tea
60 oz boiling water
4 Apples (preferable red)
2 medium sized bags of dried cranberries
10-12 tablespoons of ceylon black tea (depending on your love of briskness)
local honey
Fill a large pot (enough to hold 60oz of water). Thinly slice 4 red apples and add them to water along with dried cranberries. Stir. Bring to a boil. Fill a few large paper tea filters with 10-12 tablespoons of ceylon black tea and add to pot. Turn off flame and move to cool burner. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea and let water cool. Pour liquid into airtight pitchers (yes, keep the apples and cranberries) and refrigerate over night. In the morning, remove apples and cranberries and strain for pure iced tea. Serve & Enjoy!
Alexis Siemons is a freelance writer and tea consultant living in Philadelphia. As a tea enthusiast, she writes about her steeped adventures with tea on her website <teaspoons & petals, and teaches a series of culinary tea classes. Her recipes and stories have been published in Anthology Magazine, Grid Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, Kinfolk Magazine, Remedy Quarterly and Design*Sponge.