Fresh Brewed Iced Tea
Fresh brewed iced tea is one of the easiest homemade drinks you can make. Brewed from tea bags instead of powders or concentrates, it has a clean, full-bodied flavor that you can customize exactly the way you like it. Leave it unsweetened, add just enough sugar for a lightly sweetened version, or make it a Southern-style sweet tea.
Fresh brewed beats bottled every time
I love a good specialty beverage just as much as the next girl, but if you open my refrigerator on most days, you’ll find spring water and unsweetened home brewed iced tea. It’s my everyday go-to drink.
It’s incredibly refreshing and never leaves me feeling dehydrated the way many other beverages can. Best of all, it’s so easy to make that I barely notice the few minutes it takes to brew a fresh pitcher. Whether you’re making it for a summer barbecue, serving it with family dinner, or keeping a pitcher in the refrigerator for everyday sipping, homemade iced tea is hard to beat.
If you enjoy making simple cold beverages from scratch, be sure to try my old fashioned orangeade, classic Arnold Palmer, and homemade fresh squeezed lemonade too.
Recipe ingredients
- Black Tea Bags: Use a black tea you genuinely enjoy drinking, since it will be the dominant flavor in your finished iced tea. Choose a quality brand that produces a rich, clean-tasting brew, whether you prefer a traditional orange pekoe blend or a more robust black tea.
- Water: Water is just as important as the tea itself. Most tap water works perfectly well for brewing iced tea, but if yours has a strong chlorine taste or is heavily treated, use spring water instead so the flavor of the tea comes through cleanly.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make fresh brewed iced tea
Step 1: Bring 4 cups of water almost to a simmer. Small bubbles should form around the edge of the pot, but the water should not come to a full boil. Remove the pot from the heat.
Step 2: If making sweetened tea, stir in ½ cup sugar for lightly sweetened tea or 1 cup sugar for sweet tea until completely dissolved. Add the tea bags to the hot water.
Step 3: Let the tea steep at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. For an even stronger brew, transfer the tea to the refrigerator with the tea bags still in the pitcher and continue steeping for 2 to 3 hours.
Step 4: Remove the tea bags, gently squeezing them to extract the remaining tea. Stir in the remaining 4 cups of cold water, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve over ice.
Top tips
- Chill Before Serving: Give the tea plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator before pouring it over ice. Starting with cold tea keeps the ice from melting too quickly and prevents a watered-down glass.
- Taste Before Serving: Tea strength can vary slightly from one brand to another. Before serving, taste the chilled tea and, if it seems stronger than you’d like, stir in a little additional cold water until it reaches your preferred flavor.
- Store It Covered: Keep the pitcher covered in the refrigerator to protect the tea from absorbing odors from other foods and to maintain its fresh flavor.
- Add Citrus Just Before Serving: If you enjoy lemon in your iced tea, add the slices to individual glasses rather than the whole pitcher to keep the tea tasting fresh throughout storage.
Other recipes you’ll love
If you loved this homemade drink recipe, give these other great beverage recipes a try too!
Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade with Honey
Three Easy Herbal Mocktail Recipes
How To Make Fruit Kvass
Best French Press Iced Coffee Recipe
Homemade Make Oat Milk
Fresh Brewed Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 8 cups water separated
- 8 black tea bags
- 1/2 – 1 cup granulated sugar optional
- ice for serving
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water almost to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
- If making sweetened tea, stir in ½ cup sugar for lightly sweetened tea or 1 cup sugar for sweet tea until completely dissolved.
- Add the tea bags to the hot water and steep for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Pour the brewed tea into a large pitcher and add the remaining 4 cups of cold water. If you prefer a stronger tea, leave the tea bags in the pitcher and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before removing them.
- Remove the tea bags, gently squeezing them to extract the remaining tea.
- Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, then serve over ice.
Notes
- Use your favorite brand of black tea bags. The flavor of the finished iced tea will reflect the tea you choose.
- If your tap water has a strong chlorine or mineral taste, use spring water for the best flavor.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition information is calculated using the lightly sweetened version made with ½ cup of sugar. Unsweetened tea and sweet tea will have different nutritional values.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
