The sun, the colours and the joy of living of Brazil inspired Mariage Frères to create two iced teas named Rio Summer: a red rooibos and this green tea. Rio Summer Vert is a tea for cold infusion, from the French Summer Tea collection, presented in a glossy black hand-blown glass bottle striped with summer colours, with its dosing stopper and a pack of filter envelopes.

The blend combines green tea with açaí berries, which the house describes as chocolatey, with the freshness of a gentle mint, indulgent Brazilian fruits and notes of green maté. The declared ingredients are green tea, açaí, green maté and a flavouring; the blend may contain traces of tree nuts. The house's file classifies it among its Jardins Premiers.

Cold infusion changes everything: it extracts almost no tannins, and the liquor is soft, fruity and invigorating, without the bitterness that hot green tea sometimes gives once it has cooled. The mint brings freshness, the açaí and fruits bring roundness, and the maté a grassy note. It is a summer drink, best served very chilled, plain and unsweetened.

Preparation takes three steps: place a dosing stopper, about 10 g, in a filter envelope, fold the flaps closed, and leave it to infuse in 1 to 1.5 litres of pure water in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Then remove the filter and serve iced. The 160 g bottle makes up to 24 litres.

It accompanies a summer lunch, a picnic, a fruit salad, or simply the hot hours of the day. Keep the bottle closed and away from light. La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, offers it in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice.