Drinking enough water every day can be a challenge. You feel thirsty because it’s warm and you still have another three or four glasses you should drink throughout the afternoon, but it just doesn’t sound like what you are in the mood for. This summer’s solution for me was iced peppermint tea. I’m not a huge fan of herbal teas, but having once been a lover of Altoid breath mints, one day this August I decided to try a peppermint tea at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Macrina Bakery.

Peppermint is known as the “sweet mint” and the one that can help ease digestive problems. Bharat Aggarwal, PhD, Healing Spices. (pp. 161-162) It’s refreshing and can be enjoyed without added sugar, artificial or natural. And while there is debate on whether a decaffeinated iced coffee will really aid in your hydration, iced peppermint tea is as refreshing as water with cucumber slices or lemon.

When I’m not enjoying a freshly-brewed iced peppermint tea at Macrina, I make a pot at home using a Melitta tea filter (pictured below) and a few tablespoons of organic peppermint tea purchased in the bulk food section at PCC Natural Markets. After I let the tea steep for a while, I remove the bag from the teapot, and then leave it to sit on the counter. Once cooled, I pour it into a glass jar and pop it in the refrigerator. Sometimes it’s too concentrated and I add extra water and ice. Two or three glasses in the afternoon perks me up and is just the boost I need!