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Recipe Detail Page
Frozen Tokyo Tea
Summer 2023
There’s a melon liqueur–enhanced Long Island Iced Tea (LIIT) variation known as Tokyo Tea, but unlike that LIIT, this drink also introduces the bitter note of real matcha tea to balance sweet melon and honey notes. Using frozen fruit (cut into evenly sized cubes, which blend up smoother) instead of ice cubes gives deeper flavour and colour, a hue that gets kicked up with a splash of a surprising liquid ingredient! Melona is a common brand of frozen fruit pop that looks and tastes great as a garnish.
Makes 2 tall drinks
1/2 honeydew melon
1 cup (250 mL) strong brewed matcha tea, cooled
3 oz melon liqueur
1 1/2 oz vodka
2 tsp (10 mL) honey
1/2 cup (125 mL) Mountain Dew (regular or sugar-free) soda
2 green frozen fruit pops for garnish
1. At least 1 day before serving, cut melon into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks. Freeze overnight on a sheet tray or laid flat in a freezer-safe plastic bag (to prevent clumps and make them easier to break up).
2. Pour cooled tea into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight.
3. When ready to serve, put 2 cups (500 mL) frozen melon (about 25 chunks) in a blender and add melon liqueur, vodka and honey. Blend on smoothie or milkshake setting, drizzling soda through hole in the blender’s lid in a thin stream, until slushy consistency is reached (up to 1/2 cup/125 mL soda).
4. Add matcha cubes one at a time, blending and tasting after each addition, until desired balance of bitter and sweet flavours is reached (4 to 6 cubes).
5. Pour slush into tall glasses and garnish with a green ice pop or melon pop.
Makes 2 tall drinks
