Today has been HOT. That’s how I knew without really having to think about it that this would be my tea of choice this evening. It was calling to me. I could smell it. Pleasingly, because the scent of the dry leaf is beautiful. It’s sweet and slightly tropical-fruity (it’s making me think of um bongo, which I haven’t thought of in years…) I’m getting melon, although it smells more like honeydew than watermelon to me. There’s just that little extra sweetness that watermelon doesn’t really have. Still, though, let’s not split hairs.
The dry mix is interesting. There are some quite big pieces of fruit, watermelon among them, and some very fine powdery green flakes. I’m not 100% sure on the identity of any of it, except the watermelon. A sneaky peek at the ingredients list reveals apple, carrot, beetroot, watermelon, honeydew melon, and strawberry leaves. I’m rather pleased to see that there’s some honeydew in here — my senses weren’t deceiving me after all. And the fine, powdery green stuff is strawberry leaves, so there’s that mystery solved.
Brewed, the liquor is a beautiful red-orange colour. It really does look like watermelon flesh, but I suspect it’s a result of the beetroot. It smells much like it does dry, but the taste is something else! The dry leaves reminded me mostly of honeydew melon, but to taste this is definitely watermelon. It’s sweet, juicy and refreshing — perfect for a night like tonight. I think I can taste a slight hint of apple in the background, but this is mostly like drinking watermelon juice. I’d really love to try this iced — hopefully I have enough left for a small jug.
Many thanks to Courtney for sharing this with me — I’ve really, really enjoyed it!
