Sweet/unsweet Tea, Coffee, Water Service Recipe

Make a strong brew

Bring 2 liters (about 8 cups) of water to a rolling boil. Place 8 black tea bags into a heatproof pitcher or pot. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags, ensuring they are fully submerged. Steep for 5 minutes for a robust flavor or up to 7 minutes for stronger tea.

Remove tea bags and dilute

After steeping, remove and gently squeeze tea bags against the side of the pitcher to extract flavor (avoid over-squeezing to prevent bitterness). Add 1 liter (4 cups) of cold water to the concentrated tea to bring it to drinking strength and to cool it toward room temperature.

Prepare sweet tea

While the hot tea is still warm, pour approximately half of the brewed tea (about 1.5 liters) into a clean pitcher designated for sweet tea. Stir in 1 cup granulated sugar until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust: add up to 1/4 cup more sugar if you prefer sweeter tea. Allow the sweet tea to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Prepare unsweet tea

Pour the remaining brewed-and-diluted tea into a separate pitcher for unsweet tea. Do not add sugar. Refrigerate until chilled.

Serve

To serve cold: fill glasses with ice as desired, pour sweet or unsweet tea over ice, and garnish with lemon slices if using. For room-temperature or iced service, ensure both pitchers are chilled. Provide stirring spoons and sugar on the side for self-adjustment if offering to guests.

Measure and heat water

Heat 1.2 liters (about 5 cups) of water to between 90–96°C (just off a full boil). If using a coffee maker, follow the machine's instructions for the measured water amount.

Brew coffee

Place 72 g (about 6 tablespoons or 6 level scoops) of medium-ground coffee into your coffee maker, French press, or pour-over. Pour the hot water evenly over the grounds and brew according to method: 4–5 minutes for a French press, or per your machine's cycle for an automatic brewer.

Finish and keep warm

Once brewed, transfer coffee to a thermal carafe to keep it warm without continuing to cook on a hot plate. Offer milk/cream and sugar in separate containers so guests can customize. If serving iced coffee, allow coffee to cool and pour over ice; dilute slightly with cold water if it's too strong after cooling.

Chill 2 liters of filtered water in the refrigerator. If infusing, add citrus or cucumber slices to a pitcher and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before service to allow subtle flavoring. Serve chilled water in glasses with ice on request.

Place the two tea pitchers (clearly labeled Sweet and Unsweet), the coffee carafe, and the chilled water pitcher together on the service station. Arrange cups/glasses, ice bucket, stirrers, lemon slices, sugar bowl, creamer, and napkins nearby for easy self-service. Refill and replace ice as needed during service.