Honey is often

added to hot tea to add extra sweetness, but it's also a perfect sweetener

in cold brewed teas as well. Whether it's a fruity varietal honey such

as orange blossom or honey with a floral taste such as sage, the sweet

flavor of honey is an essential ingredient to deliciously sweet iced tea.

Making flavored

iced tea is simple. Start with cold water, bring to a boil and add either

loose or bagged tea; steep until desired strength. While tea is steeping,

add sweeteners such as honey (there are more than 300 varieties available),

spices or fruit juices.

Because the

types of tea and honey abound, have fun mixing and matching different

teas with specific varietal honeys. Try mint tea with wildflower honey,

orange pekoe tea with clover honey, and green tea with orange blossom

honey.

To get summer

off to a sweet start, the National Honey Board created two tantalizing

iced teas that are sure to be a warm-weather hit. For additional recipes,

go to www.honey.com.

Spiced honey chamomile cooler

4 chamomile

tea bags

4 cinnamon

sticks

20 whole cloves

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup fresh

lemon juice

Bring water

to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add tea bags, cinnamon, and cloves; let

simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves and stir in honey and

lemon juice.

Place in refrigerator

until chilled. Pour over ice and garnish with fresh lemon slices.

Makes 4 servings.

For an extra

kick, try these variations:

For a fruity

flavor, add 1 tablespoon orange juice to each glass.

Add 2 tablespoons

rum or whisky to each glass for a "spiked" version.

Honey raspberry iced tea

2 cups freshly

brewed tea

2 cups cranberry-raspberry

juice

1/4 cup honey

In a large,

heat-proof pitcher, whisk together all ingredients until thoroughly combined

and honey is dissolved. Chill until ready to serve. To serve, pour over

ice.

Makes 4 servings.

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