While I obviously love a good cocktail, I feel like parties need a fun non-alcoholic drink, too. And though the peach tea punch I made a few months ago was quite delicious, I wanted to try something a bit different.

Sweet tea is always a good plan, but legit Southern sweet tea can be a little much for some people. This recipe incorporates freshly brewed tea, sugar, pineapple juice, lemon juice and mint for a extremely refreshing and tropical treat that we all loved… and if non-alcoholic isn’t what you’re looking for, feel free to mix it with some rum or bourbon!

I made a double batch, so you don’t necessarily need a giant vat to make your tea. But having extra pineapple tea is not a bad thing. Sorry I didn’t get a better photo of the final product, by the way. We were too busy drinking it!

Tropical pineapple tea (Makes about a gallon. Adapted from the “Best of the Best from Hawaii Cookbook”)
1/2 gallon (8 cups) water
12 black tea bags (I recommend using plain black/iced tea bags)
3-4 sprigs of fresh mint, plus more for garnish
2 cups sugar
12 ounces pineapple juice (fresh juice or juice from the refrigerated section is preferred)
6 ounces lemon juice (fresh is preferred — you’ll probably need several lemons)
Pineapple chunks or spears for garnish

Pour all the water into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the tea bags and the 3-4 sprigs of mint. After 3 minutes, remove the mint, but allow the tea to continue steeping for at least 5 more minutes. Once the tea looks very dark, remove and discard the tea bags.

Add the sugar while the tea is still very warm, and stir to combine. If the pot is large enough, go ahead and stir the juices in, too (If not, add it when you pour the tea into the container).

After the tea has cooled a bit, pour it into a gallon container and add a cup of cold water and at least 2 cups of ice and stir. Refrigerate the tea until it’s cold, then taste and add more ice and water if necessary. Serve and/or garnish with additional mint and pineapple.