Butterfly Tea Lemonade

Discover the story

A beautiful lilac-hued drink for you to relax with. Don't pass this one by

We are so excited to share an amazing new drink recipe with you today! What an honor to learn how to make this Butterfly Tea Lemonade from the Liquid Chef himself, Rob Floyd. It makes for a beautiful presentation, tastes refreshingly delicious, is antioxidant-rich, and is refined-sugar-free! We even brought it to our Women of Today event at The Vintage Round Top in Roundtop, Texas, for guests to try. It was a BIG hit!!

One thing we love most about this drink is its vibrant color because the Butterfly Tea organically creates a beautiful layered effect that turns into a gorgeous lilac hue when combined with the lemonade. Lemonade has an unstable enzyme that reacts off of citrus (acid is key!) and causes this dynamic color shift that guests will love! You can either let the tea float on top to create that beautiful ombre effect or mix it in for a perfect lilac color. And, if you want to make this drink a little more adult, you can add in some alcohol! This tea isn’t hard to find, either! You can order it from Amazon.

“I love amazing stories behind any cocktail,” says Floyd. “A drink should always be an experience and have a cool secret behind it, this one definitely has that.”

Rob’s Background Story about this drink:

1001 years ago, Magical creatures roamed the Himapan Forest. One night a young woman named Isra was woken up by a Kinnari, a half bird half woman. The Kinnari took Isra on a journey over the lakes, the forest, and past the temples until they reached the Himapan forest. There, they walked together until Isra spotted a beautiful blue plant. The Kinnari took the plant home with Isra and had it planted by the fence so travelers could enjoy it as a tea to refresh their body and spirit. Also – Isra in Thai means “Nocturnal Journey.”

Ashley Rose of Sugar and Cloth tries our tea at the WOT x VRT event

Butterfly Tea Lemonade

Ingredients

Butterfly Tea

4 cups hot water
1/4 cup butterfly tea leaves

Homemade Lemonade

4 cups cold water
1/3 cup agave
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Optional

1.5 oz. gin per drink, we used Bulldog Gin

Instructions

Set aside two pitchers (they should hold 4 cups of liquid each). Make sure they have wide enough necks for stirring. You will be using one for your lemonade and one for your Butterfly Tea.
To make your Butterfly Tea, combine 4 cups hot water and ¼ cup tea leaves. Set aside and cool. Place in one pitcher.
In the second pitcher, combine 4 cups cold water, 1/3 cup agave, and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Note: If your lemonade tastes more on the tart side, do not worry. This will balance out once blended with the tea.
Use a highball glass that accommodates around 8 -12 oz. to make your first drink. Fill to the top with ice.
Pour 1/3 cup of the lemonade mixture into the glass, leaving about 3/4 inch at the top. Pro Tip: This works best with crushed ice!
Slowly pour in ¼ inch of Butterfly Tea. When pouring, pour directly onto an ice cube to create the fullest effect.
Add more agave to taste, if desired. Add in gin, if desired.