Pineapple Chamomile Iced Tea Sangria Mocktail

With a refreshingly light sweetness from pineapple and ripe stone fruit, this non-alcoholic chamomile tea sangria makes use of summer’s abundant fruit and herbs.  A touch of sage balances the drink and is just the right ingredient to add clean herbal notes without overwhelming the pitcher. Lounge away the afternoon with a glass then sip another well into the evening, as chamomile tea is naturally caffeine-free with a mild floral quality that’s mellow and smooth.  Spoon cherry halves and nectarine slices in each serving along with plenty of pineapple, and this mocktail makes blazing days quite welcome.

Ingredients

5 chamomile tea bags brewed in 4 cups water then cooled
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup pitted fresh cherry halves
1 ripe nectarine, sliced
5 large fresh sage leaves

If you have taken part in my mixology and cooking classes, you may recall that I love incorporating all varieties of tea in mocktail recipes.  They lend astringency and complex notes to a non-alcoholic drink.   Since summer days call for us to laze a little more, I chose a comforting caffeine-free herbal tea for this batch drink.  The floral notes of the tea and cooling notes of sage give a garden style freshness to each glass.

When selecting ingredients for this recipe or any other pineapple mocktail, I opt for a jarred pure pineapple juice with no other fruit juice added.  They tend to have a clean flavor that also can be created by making fresh pineapple juice if you prefer.

Similarly, choose a chamomile tea whose flavor you love all on its own.  One that tends toward the sweeter side is my preference for this recipe.

As the fruit that sits in the pitcher will contribute flavor and eventually wind up in each glass, spend some time choosing the best available.  Pineapple with a clean sweet scent and just slight give is preferable to one that is uniformly firm.  Similarly, nectarines are at their best when they have a slight give.  Cherries should hold their shape and have shine.

How to Cut a Pineapple

Slice off the top leafy portion and bottom of the pineapple. Use a serrated or sharp chef’s knife to slice away the outer peel then remove any of the prickly brown eyes that remain using a paring knife (or you can remove these after cubing the pineapple). Halve the pineapple top to bottom, then cut in half again to create four pieces. Cut away the tough core from each quarter. Slice each quarter lengthwise then crosswise into large chunks.

How to Make the Tea Sangria

Brew the chamomile tea for 5 minutes in boiling water then discard the tea bags and allow the tea to cool.

Combine the tea, pineapple juice, pineapple cubes, nectarine slices, and cherry halves in a pitcher. Smack the sage leaves against the back of your hand to make them more aromatic before adding to the pitcher.

Let the tea sangria sit for 2 hours. During this time, some of the fruit will settle into the bottom of the pitcher. Give a stir, which will incorporate the juices in that fruit throughout the pitcher, warming up the color as well.

Serve in individual glasses with ice and spoon fruit generously into each.