Summer is prepared the night before, in the fridge. Panama is a chilled green tea from the French Summer Tea collection by Mariage Frères, designed for cold infusion: a measuring cap of leaves, a filter pouch, one litre of fresh water, and time does the rest. The black glossy blown glass bottle, illustrated with a hibiscus flower with radiating stamens, contains 160 g of tea, enough to prepare up to 24 litres of iced tea.

The house describes a smooth, very fresh green tea, where a gentle mint meets the sweet sweetness of red berry notes and the round, lively nectar of hibiscus. The liquor is a silky golden yellow. The composition combines tea, hibiscus, blue flowers and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts.

Preparation takes three steps. Place one measuring cap, that is 10 g of tea, into a filter pouch, one of which is supplied with the bottle. Close the flaps. Immerse the pouch in 1 to 1.5 litres of pure water and leave to infuse in the fridge for at least one hour. Cold infusion extracts almost no tannin: the cup is smooth, without bitterness, and the mint stays fresh rather than sharp.

Serve it as it is, very chilled, in a large glass, optionally with ice cubes and a mint leaf. It accompanies a summer lunch, a fruit salad, a picnic, and is an excellent replacement for sweet drinks, since it contains no added sugar. Prepared in a jug, it keeps for two days in the fridge.

The bottle, 175 mm high and 85 mm in diameter, closes with its measuring cap. Store it away from light and heat, and keep the filter pouches dry. Panama can be enjoyed all summer long, and beyond for those who love iced tea in every season.