Sippin’ on Summer: Tazo’s Iced Green, Black and Passion Tea (with Giveaway!)
June 27, 2012 by Jenn
There are a lot of things I love about summer, but iced tea is definitely one of them. Credit: TheCulinaryGeek
Here’s my definition of summer: flip flops, cut-offs, bikini top, chemical-free sunscreen and a glass of iced tea. To me, this is summery perfection. But, I’ll be honest, making a big vat of iced tea can be tasty—for the first five glasses or so—and then you kind of need something to spice things up. Something like passion…
We recently were sent some of Tazo’s new Iced Tea Filterbags, which make brewing iced tea at home easy and tasty. Leading the pack for me in the taste department was the Passion iced tea, which is a caffeine-free blend of hibiscus flowers, herbs and tropical flavors. Without being overwhelmingly strong, it’s fruity, fun and a really pretty bright pink-red color that just feels festive. Like you’re on vacay, which is always a good way to feel. The black and green tea varieties are good, too, but they’re nothing extraordinary in my opinion—good quality that you expect from Tazo (which is made by Starbucks, by the way), but nothing to write home about.
Each big filterbag brews two quarts of iced tea, and each package contains six bags. You simply boil a liter of water, put it in your pitcher with your ginormous Tazo tea bag (they are big), let it seep for three minutes, and then add another liter of cold water and ice. Cool it on down and then enjoy. But a rather serious word of caution: If you’re using a glass pitcher, do not—I repeat DO NOT—poor boiling water directly into it. It seems common sense, but I had quite the “incident” at home when I did so and it busted my glass pitcher with Passion tea in it all over my kitchen, totally freaking my dog out. (Hey, I was a journalism major, not a scientist. Although I should have known better since I have to watch this when brewing kombucha at home.) So I recommend brewing your tea bag in the pot you boiled in, and then adding ice and cold water to that pot before pouring into a pitcher (plastic or glass). Again, boiling water should not go directly into a pitcher. Trust me on this. The mess is, well, messy and tricky to clean up with the shards of glass and all.
Want to try some of this iced tea yourself? Just promise us in the comments that you won’t be a doofus and pour boiling water in a glass pitcher, and we’ll select one lucky U.S. reader to win a sample of Tazo’s Iced Tea Filterbags, a glass pitcher, super-cute glasses and a stirrer for your summer tea-drinking enjoyment. Cheers!—Jenn
I love to drink tea in the summer. I’d really like to win!
Tazo tea is amazing. Iced tazo tea I would imagine is doubly so! I promise not to be crazypants and pour boiling water into a glass pitcher!! Love this site, look forward to reading the posts everyday, you gals rock
I’m really trying to replace most of my coffee drinks with tea and love Tazo. The shards of glass sound dangerous! Yikes! Lesson learned!
I love me a glass of fruity iced tea! Especially when the flavor is so good alone you don’t even need to add any sugar. And I promise not to pour the boiling water into the glass pitcher! (Thanks for that dit-bit of wisdom.)
Ha! I promise you guys not to do that! Tazo teas are the best, been drinking their green tea forever. It’s nice to see some iced brews for summer.
I’ll take the pledge to never pour boiling water in a glass pitcher.
I love passion fruit iced tea! It would be a great way to beat this 100+ degree heat.
I PROMISE I will not pour boiling water into a pitcher. I learned my lesson the time I set a Pyrex straight out of of the oven under iced cold water to keep the grease from sticking. Glass explosion EVERYWHERE! Ooops!
I love Tazo teas…iced or hot! And I promise to never ever pour boiling water into a glass pitcher.
I love iced tea and I totally mean to try out more flavours. And I promise I won’t be silly pouring the old warm water into a glass!
I love hot TAZO so I’m sure the iced is delish!
I’d love to win these teabags! My best friend and I used to make pitchers of the stuff using hot tea bags pilfered from our friend the Starbucks employee. I’d love to try a cold-brew-ready tea bag!
Always drink green tea after I’m done with my coffee for the morning. I have an iced tea maker (because I am that lazy) so I won’t be repeating any shattered glass shananigans! YUM TO TAZO!!
Never tried it iced. Yummy
I am originally from England and enjoy a hot cup of tea, but living in West Texas I have developed a taste for iced tea. The flavored teas would be wonderful to try.
Hahaha, I PROMISE not to pour boiling water into a glass pitcher — cross my heart
I just recently made the switch from super sweet coffees and sodas to water and regular tea and would love to win this set to keep me on track with something yummy! If I win, I absolutely promise to not be a doofus and pour boiling water in the glass pitcher, although I can’t promise I won’t do something else that would rate me a doofus! Thank you!
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I promise not to be a doofus and pour boiling water in my glass pitcher! I would love to have the prize package so I can serve tea on my newly constructed back porch that overlooks my pool!
Looks really good- I love ice tea after working out, and yes I promise not pour boil water into a glass pitcher!
I promise not to be to a big doofuss and pour boiling water into a glass picture!!! LOVE TAZO TEA
I love ice tea and REALLY have been trying to find a GOOD summertime tea I like. Promise to not pour boiling water in my glass pitcher.
Would love to try some new teas.
Thanks!
I promise not to pour hot water in a glass pitcher & would love me some tea:)
Jenn, your posts always make me lol! I’m so glad to know I’m not the only doofus that does crazy things! I am an iced tea lover and would love to win this one. Happy brewing!
I totally promise.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
I love TAZO tea!! I would love to try this and I promise I won’t pour boiling water into a glass pitcher!!!
No doofus here, sign me up!
Oh man, I have totally poured boiling water in my glass pitcher….and now I don’t have a pitcher, so a new one would be handy! Learned a lesson there! I’ve been brewing my ice tea in old juice glass jars….
I promise not to pour boiling water in a glass pitcher, if I do not win I will return to my old faithful tradition of brewing sun tea like my mom used to do. I really do love tazo tea though, and your site!!
I was going to say I don’t have a glass pitcher to break . . . but I definitely won’t break the new one, either! Thanks for the great giveaway.
I’ll take the pledge to never pour boiling water in a glass pitcher.
i won’t be a doofus! i’m so excited that this is available in stores – i LOVE getting a iced passion tea at starbucks but would love even more to enjoy it at home.
I pledge to not be a doofus. I will savor the Tazo Tea and treasure the pitcher! What a super giveaway for these hot summer days! Thank you
I am SO glad you admitted to having done that, because I can totally see myself doing the same thing! Thanks for the warning, I promise not to be the doofus I would have likely been without your disclosure:) BTW, I just (only moments ago) stumbled across your website via a Google search and am excited to have just “liked” you on Facebook. Love your writing style and looking forward to regular reads!!
Ah my first comment didn’t go through! Basically, I have used (until now) the Lipton iced tea bags because I’m too lazy
but I’m dying to try this new Tazo tea bechsr as a proper southern girl, there’s nothing I like better!!!
I love Tazo! I promise to not pour boiling water into a glass pitcher.
I do hereby solemnly swear to abide by the rules of iced tea makers worldwide and forgo the urge to pour boiling hot water directly into any glass container.
I love me some iced tea! Although, I like sweet tea, but I now sweeten with Stevia, not sugar.
How’s that promise work for ya?
I want some! I won’t pour boiling water into a glass pitcher. Mmmm, passionfruit.
Promise! Starbuck’s unsweetened passion iced tea is definitely my go-to drink on hot days!
Mmm! Tea is so great, especially in the summer! Fruit is good too! OOOH! Fruity tea!!! YUM!
I agree the Passion iced tea is yummy! My husband loves to use it as a base for his protein shakes, to give a little flavor without added sugars (although it does turn a weird green-grey color.)
I promise to follow all rules for safe brewing of Tazo tea.
I promise not to be a doofus and make/drink my Tazo tea safely.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I love Tazo tea. Now that they have made a option that is especially for “iced tea” I can use it in my brand new Coffee Mate “iced tea” maker. It will be a wonderful thing to have fresh made iced Tazo tea in my refrigerator at all times. So very excited!!!! Please let me win….
I solemnly vow NOT to pour boiling water into a glass picture while making tea.
My fav Tazo tea in the winter is a steaming cup of Chai. I would love to try this version as a healthier alternative to soda. *Places hand on heart* I will not pour boiling water into a glass pitcher while making iced tea.
Great Giveaway!!! I would love to try some refreshing iced tea! Sign me up because I’m not putting boling water into a glass pitcher! CHEERS!
I join in, PROMISing not to pour boiling water into a glass pitcher.
Did not know that Tazo is Starbucks!
I can’t wait to drink these teas!! and will not pour boiling water into a glass pitcher.
I’ve recently given up drinking all soda and I’m trying to buy a variety of tea each week – all that flavor without the calories! I promise I will NOT pour boiling water into any glass pitcher!
I love tea!
Wow, I love tea! And I do hereby solemnly swear not to pour boiling hot water into a glass pitcher.
I love tea and this is an awesome giveaway! I worked in a restaurant for two years in my younger days and already made a similar mistake. I solemnly swear not to pour boiling hot water into a glass pitcher.
YUMMO I love Starbucks passion fruit iced tea, but dont like the pricetag – would love to win!!!
I hereby promise that I won’t be a doofus and pour boiling water in a glass pitcher….
The tea look delicious.
I promise I won’t do silly things with the tea bags!!! I love the tazo line they’re great!!!
Yum, I love Tazo tea!!!! Iced Passion tea is the best thing ever, especially when you mix it with lemonade!
I LOOOOOVE Tazo tea!! It is my absolute favorite and is the perfect treat on a warm day
Yum- love tea in the summer time. I love putting in fresh mint as well as it brews in the sun ( of course no boiling water! )
Weather in Seattle *finally* has changed to allow me to switch from hot to iced tea – YAY SUNSHINE! I would LOVE to try the new Tazo iced tea and promise NOT to pour boiling water in a glass pitcher!
I promise that I won’t be a doofus and pour boiling water in a glass pitcher ! Cross my heart
I just saw Tazo tea in the store the other day and thought about giving it a try but decided I’d buy some next time. I love tea all year long hot or cold, it always works. And yes, I promise I will not pour boiling water into glass
I hope this giveaway is still valid…..I love iced tea and I’d love to win.
I promise not to be a doofus and pour boiling water in a glass pitcher or glass. I’d never do anything that stupid (yeah, right).
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Love Tazo tea! I promise I won’t be a doofus and pour boiling water into a glass pitcher!
Hmmmm nothing like a nice tall glass of Tazo iced tea in this 103′ weather!!!!! I can assure you that pouring hot tea into a glass pitcher will never happen….never! Who does that?
I pinkie swear!
I will not pour boiling hot water into my pitcher! Plus, I only have a BPA-free plastic one so even if I made the mistake there wouldn’t be an explosion
And the winner of the Tazo tea prize pack is…comment #49 — Jeanine! Congrats! Emailing you know to get your mailing addy, girl.
–FBG Jenn
I will not, I will not, I will NOT pour boiling water into my pitcher under any condition (even if some evil genius tries to convince me that it would be okay just “one time”). Not that I foresee this happening, but in the rare case that it DOES, I still solemnly swear to NOT pour the boiling water into my pitcher. I promise!!! And TAZO tea = nothing is better!
Back home, my mom always made it for me with her fancy schmancy tea stuff. Now I am moving into my first apartment and need the stuff for myself! Here’s to hoping I can win it (since mom won’t just let me HAVE hers).
WOO!