House Iced Tea Recipe

Brew the tea

Place 4 black tea bags into a heatproof pitcher. Pour 900 ml of boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for a medium-strength brew (steep 7 minutes for stronger flavor).

After steeping, remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pitcher with a spoon to extract remaining liquid (avoid squeezing too hard to prevent bitterness).

Prepare sugar syrup

In a small heatproof container, combine 60 g granulated sugar with 60 ml hot water. Stir until fully dissolved to make a quick sugar solution. If you prefer using simple syrup, substitute 30 ml simple syrup and skip this step.

Add citrus and herbs

While the brewed tea is still warm (but not boiling), stir in the dissolved sugar so it incorporates easily. Add 60 ml fresh lemon juice and 8 mint leaves (lightly clap the mint between your palms before adding to release aroma). Stir gently to combine. Add 4 lemon slices to the pitcher for additional flavor and garnish.

Dilute and cool: Add 600 ml cold water to the flavored tea to bring it to serving strength and balance the concentration. Stir well.

Chill: Refrigerate the pitcher for at least 30 minutes to cool thoroughly. Alternatively, pour immediately over glasses filled with ice cubes if you need it served right away (note: immediate serving will dilute slightly as ice melts).

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). Pour iced tea over the ice, ensuring each glass gets a lemon slice and a few mint leaves. Taste and adjust sweetness with the optional simple syrup (up to 30 ml) or additional lemon juice to taste.

Storage: Keep any leftover iced tea refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Stir before serving as flavors may settle.