Summertime and the Living is (T)easy

3 Keats & Co iced teas to enjoy this summer | By Malikai Smith

Do you have any preferences that, over the years, you’ve recently realized put you in the minority? Here’s one of mine: I dislike really cold drinks. Ice in my water? Forget about it. I barely want my water cooler than room temperature. I know, I know; put your pitchforks down. But as the old adage goes, rules are meant to be broken. While I’m typically an ice-avoider, there are a few drinks that land me squarely in the warm embrace of popular opinion. Summer is here, my AC is reinstalled, my electric bill is on the rise, and the time of the iced-drink is upon us. Let’s talk about it. 

One beverage I’ll never be remiss to ice down is a nice tea. When the sun is beating down, birds are chirping, cicadas are trilling, and gardens are overflowing with life, who can’t find the joy in a big pitcher of iced tea? Picture a glass sweating with perspiration in the midday summer sun, full to the brim with ice and the refreshing taste (and fragrance) of April Meadows Green tea. Add a couple of friends and maybe a little breakfast or lunch food at an outdoor table, and you’ve got all the trappings of a classic memory. 

I have a penchant for black teas. That’s my standard go-to. If I’m looking to have a little soiree like I talked about above, a green tea is going to be my pick, but if we’re talking about a standard summer morning, before work, first drink of the day? Then it’s Bright Star Breakfast Blend. What else? It’s in the title, and who am I to deny something its namesake? That’s ol’ reliable! I think it pairs best with your favorite place to sit in the morning (God, I’m getting old). Mine is a low, comfortable chair in the corner of my apartment, flanked by a peace lily and a money tree on either side. It sits in front of a window, and the breeze can be enjoyed by my cat and myself while I drink an iced black tea to get caffeinated while I read a book… or scroll Instagram reels. But I’ve been reading more, I swear. 

When I was young, my grandmother (who has lived in San Miguel, Mexico, for most of my life) sent us a green tea with mango that I remember being a total showstopper. It’s one of those things that you’ll have once in your life, and you’ll never have again. It was just a random tea from a random town thousands of miles away, and it was too long ago to remember a name or identifier, so it’ll never again be more than a memory. That won’t stop me from chasing that dragon. By its own merits and strengthened by the mighty bolster of nostalgia, a fruit-infused tea has my number. I’m a sucker for it. That’s why I was immediately drawn to Sweet Briar Botanical. Do I even have to say how well lemon, raspberry, and rose go with summer? Light, and revitalizing, this option is perfect for a trip to the park with a blanket and a picnic basket. Sure-fire way to make your significant other’s or friends’ days. 

So many teas, so many ways to enjoy. Whatever your preference or however you choose to enjoy it, Keats and Co has the tea for you. These sustainably sourced and ethically driven powerhouses are sure to be the perfect summer companion for whatever your summer has in store.