Tiger Tea — Something Cold for the Postgame Groan

Brianna's week. A thunderstorm Tuesday. The kind of storm that ends the cold. Plant had a quality issue Wednesday. Caught it. Antoine and I rebuilt fourteen Jeeps in three hours. Earned the team a pizza party.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Baked ziti this week. Sausage and ricotta. The dish that survives a freezer.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 7. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I went to bed Sunday at 10. Slept eight hours. The body said thank you.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

I made grocery lists on the back of envelopes the way Mama did. The list this week was short — onions, garlic, half-and-half, cornmeal, a pound of bacon. The list is the recipe of the week before it happens.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

Drove past Jefferson North on Tuesday. The plant is still the plant. The trucks coming out. I waved at the gate guard out of habit. He waved back even though he didn't know me. The plant is its own neighborhood.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

The Tigers lost Sunday in extras — Detroit reflex, just like I said — and I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to, and then I went and made myself a tall glass of Tiger Tea because that’s what you do when the bullpen lets you down and the neighborhood collectively groans through the windows. Some weeks the food is the anchor and some weeks the drink is the intermission, and Tiger Tea is the one thing I can make while the post-game wrap-up is still on that doesn’t require me to think too hard. Zaria helped me measure the lemon juice and had opinions about the sweetness level, as she does about everything in my kitchen, and I let her be right.

Tiger Tea

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 cups cold water, divided
• 4 black tea bags
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4–5 lemons)
• 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed or store-bought
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, for serving
• Ice, for serving
• Fresh mint sprigs, optional

Instructions

1. Brew the tea. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the 4 tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove bags without squeezing and let the tea cool to room temperature.
2. Make the simple syrup. While the tea steeps, combine the sugar with 1/2 cup of warm water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Juice the citrus. Squeeze lemons and orange until you have 3/4 cup lemon juice and 1 cup orange juice. Strain out seeds.
4. Combine. In a large pitcher, stir together the brewed tea, cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, and remaining 3 and 1/2 cups of cold water. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness as needed.
5. Chill. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until fully cold, or pour immediately over a tall glass of ice if patience is not available after a tough loss in extras.
6. Serve. Pour over ice, garnish with a lemon slice and mint sprig if using. Makes enough for the whole porch.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 72 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 5mg