In high school, in the Nashville summers, perhaps my favorite thing to drink was the fruit tea served by Calypso Café. It had a tropical flavor, but it was also iced tea. Plus, Calypso gave out free refills, so I would drink quarts of it over a lunch plate of roasted chicken, black beans, and greens.

Here’s a fruit tea recipe I found recently that tastes just like the Calypso version, and that will be available in my fridge for the rest of the summer. It is really easy to make. To make a little more than a gallon (don’t worry, you will drink it all):

12 cups water
a whole large can of pineapple juice
one stick cinnamon
10 cloves
8 coins of ginger, each about the size of a quarter
1/2 - 1 cup sugar, to taste
16 teabags

Boil all ingredients except the tea bags, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat and add the teabags. Brew 5 minutes. Run the whole thing through a strainer and put into a pitcher in the fridge. Serve with loads of ice.

(adapted from Let The Flames Begin)