In Brazil, where tropical fruits grow in abundance, its no surprise there are fresh juice bars all over and a really creative culture around healthy drinks. The concoctions can be far more complex than just mixing together a few fruits. Some have organic energizers in them derived from acai and guarana fruit, or even more exotic ingredients like yohimbe, a tree brought to Brazil from Africa during colonial times whose root is said to stimulate sex drive (well actually we can confirm, it does stimulate sex drive).
UXUA's barmen are expert at inventing drinks which pack a punch of vitamins and energy, but they've also experimented for years with non-alchohlic drinks meant to relax. Our most popular we call Trancoso Ice Tea. Its creation dates way back to a creative period in late 2008 before UXUA was open to guests when our team spent a few months together enjoying the hotel's atmosphere and experimenting with recipes for our new menus, inspired only by local traditions and our own imagination.
This drink was an instant success, and today many of our returning guests insist we keep a fresh pitcher in their refrigerator throughout their stay.
Here we'll share what was previously a secret recipe, and we wish you luck brewing a batch so delicious that Trancoso Ice Tea becomes a regular in your house like it is in our UXUA casas. But we suspect it will always taste just a little better in Trancoso, especially if drunk after a perfect day at the beach, with the soft sound of Brazilian music carried across warm breezes, and with nothing else on your mind other than deciding how you might enjoy your next, responsibility-free evening in tropical paradise.
Recipe:
In this recipe of course we take complete advantage of our accessibility to fresh ingredients
Put the water to boil, cut the fruits into small pieces and scoop the pulp of the passion fruit, tossing all into the pot of boiling water.
Simmer all, adding the chamomile, cinnamon sticks and ginger.
This recipe is pure simplicity, the heat magically merging these wonderful tastes.
The infusion will take up to 30 minutes. You'll know its done when the pieces of fruit are watery and have lost most of their texture and consistency, and the liquid has a very strong yellow-green color, which by this time is absolutely packed with flavor.
The liquid should be removed from the heat and left to cool down to room temperature, then poured through a strainer into a pitcher which is placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until it can be be served chilled and truly called Trancoso Ice Tea. An alternative is put the liquid in the refrigerator without straining it, and then straining each individual glass as its served resulting in a slightly stronger flavor. Either option will create a drink which has the unique affect of refreshing while calming the body.
This is the perfect beverage to cap off a hot and bright tropical afternoon.
When you visit UXUA you won't need to ask for Trancoso Ice Tea, it will find you, appearing by magic in your refrigerator or handed to you as you return from the beach or a day of activity on the ocean or Atlantic rainforest.