Dominican Style Ginger Iced Tea

The best part of it is that they serve them as sweetened and unsweetened. I prefer unsweetened whereas my husband, Dwight, loves sweetened drinks. Speaking of my husband, he is a big fan of having a non-alcoholic drink as a pick me up or with his meals during the day. Cold teas like Tazo peach and green tea that they sell in Starbucks are his favorite. However, finding those here on Virgin Gorda is almost impossible. Since he cannot find Tazo Teas, he usually goes for Coca-Cola, which I am not too happy about because it is not healthy. So I am always on the look out for drink ideas that I can make at home and have it readily available in the fridge for Dwight. We were served this Ginger Iced Tea recipe in Jungle Bay for lunch on our first day. We both loved it and ordered it several times. On our last day, Joanne, the Food and Beverage Manager, came to say goodbye to us with a bag full of fresh ginger in her hand. She explained to me how they make, our favorite, Ginger Ice Tea. I was so happy as I was looking forward to trying the Pumpkin Ginger Soup that she showed us how to make, during the Caribbean Cooking class, as well as this ice tea. When we came home first thing Dwight asked was to make some Ginger Ice Tea. So I did.

How To Make Ginger Iced Tea:

The process of making this iced ginger tea has just a few steps:

Sugar vs Honey:

Instead of using granulated sugar I used honey thinking that it is somewhat healthier. You can use splenda, stevia, agave or natural sugars like coconut or maple sugar. The refreshing taste of fresh lime and lemon juices mixed with the tangy flavor of shredded fresh ginger is heavenly. In order to ensure that it will keep its freshness (and flavors) for a couple of days I put slices of lemons and limes in the pitcher. I serve it with lots of ice and more fresh mint leaves. In the never-ending hot days of the Caribbean, this Ginger Ice Tea is, for sure, a star in our fridge.