Cold brewing tea creates a gentler sweeter tea than brewing tea with hot water. Heat tends to bring out the tannins and acids in tea leaves. Cold water releases those tannins much more slowly, allowing the actual taste of the tea leaves to come forward.
The technique couldn’t be easier. Place tea leaves in cold water. Let sit for 8-12 hours. That’s it! We do suggest using twice as many tea leaves as a hot brew. Our taste buds react differently to hot and cold. Cold foods and drinks need an extra punch for our brains to recognize the flavor. Adding extra tea leaves to any tea you will drink cold is essential for creating a beautiful cup of cold tea instead of a flavored water drink.
To make your tea, pick your favorite cup, jar, or pitcher. We like to use a quart jar or our water bottle. Place your 2 teaspoons of leaves per cup of water into an infuser that works for your container. Drop in your infuser. Cover your container. Place in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. Remove infuser. That’s it–your tea is ready to enjoy!
Teas with floral and fruity flavors seems to especially benefit from cold brewing. The longer brew time allows those flavors to really develop while not overbrewing the tea leaves.
Some of our favorite teas to cold brew include:
The fresh crisp green tea flavor with the slightly sweet tart flavor of red raspberries is a refreshing tea when cold brewed.
The floral essence of both the jasmine and rose are really showcased when this tea is cold-brewed. The green tea is a gentle background flavor.
We created Blue Mermaid tea specifically to serve iced, but have found it also works beautifully cold-brewed. It’s not only delicious with mint and lemon flavors, it’s also a gorgeous tea as it brews up a bright aqua green color.
What are your favorite teas to cold brew?
