How to make a Chai Summer Punch
Your favourite courtside summer drink - just without the alcohol.
Just like a Pimm’s - the most refreshing summer serve. Strawberry, cucumber and soft summer fruits, with a gentle layer of spice from the chai.
Start by preparing your chai concentrate and strawberry shrub using the instructions below, then move on to construction your final drink.
The chai concentrate recipe is ingredient-heavy but worth the bother if you can - plus you can keep the concentrate and strawberry shrub in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and they'll each make a good number of drinks.
Chai Concentrate
What you need (for approx 10 drinks)
- 1ltr water
- Approx 50 cardamom pods (5g)
- Approx 30 black peppercorns
- 18g cinnamon sticks
- 6g whole clove
- 3 star anise
- 6g nutmeg (roughly 2 whole, broken)
- 50g fresh ginger, unpeeled and sliced
- 6g fennel seeds (2 tsp)
- 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds removed
- 150g dark soft brown sugar
- 18g (approx 7 tsp) English Breakfast tea (or other robust black tea)
Method
- Add your sugar and spices to a pan with the water and bring to the boil with a lid on
- Simmer gently for 10 minutes
- Add the tea leaves & simmer for a further 5 minutes
- Set aside for at least 30 minutes
- Use a fine strainer or muslin to strain into a clean, lidded bottle or jar and allow to cool fully
- Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
Strawberry Shrub
What you need (for approximately 35 drinks)
- 250g fresh strawberries
- 250g caster sugar
- 250g Verjus
Method
- Combine the strawberries and sugar, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
- Add the Verjus, then cover and refrigerate for a further 24 hours
- Stir to dissolve any remaining sugar, then strain through muslin, pressing lightly to extract the liquid
- Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
Chai Summer Punch
What you need (per drink)
- 30ml chai concentrate (see above)
- 20ml Strawberry Shrub (see above)
- 150ml soda water
- Plenty of ice
- Garnish: sliced strawberries and cucumber
Method
- Fill a glass with ice
- Add chai concentrate, strawberry shrub and soda water and stir gently to combine
- Garnish with sliced strawberry and cucumber
