Sweet Tea Recipe

Brew the tea

Bring 4 cups of water to a near-boil (just under rolling boil) in a kettle or saucepan. Place 4 black tea bags into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the 4 cups of hot water over the tea bags, cover the pitcher or loosely lay a lid over it, and steep for 5 minutes for a clear, balanced brew, or up to 7 minutes for stronger tea. Remove and discard the tea bags, gently pressing them against the pitcher side with a spoon to extract excess liquid (do not squeeze vigorously to avoid bitterness).

Make simple syrup

While the tea brews (or immediately after), combine 1 cup boiling water and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a heatproof measuring cup or small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely to form a quick simple syrup. This ensures the sugar dissolves fully into the cold tea without grittiness.

Sweeten and dilute

Pour the dissolved sugar (simple syrup) into the hot-brewed tea and stir to combine. Add 4 cups of cold water to the sweetened brewed tea to cool and dilute to the proper strength. Taste and adjust: add another tablespoon of sugar if you prefer sweeter tea, or more cold water if too strong.

Chill

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour, or serve immediately over ice if you need it sooner. If serving immediately, fill glasses with ice and pour the tea over the ice to cool it quickly.

Serve

To serve, add a few ice cubes to each glass, pour the sweet tea, and garnish each glass with a lemon slice and an optional mint sprig. Stir gently before drinking.

Notes and variations

For a larger batch, double the ingredients. Substitute light brown sugar or honey for a different flavor (if using honey, dissolve it in warm tea instead of boiling water). For Southern-style extra-sweet tea, increase sugar to 6 tablespoons per 8 cups total. Store refrigerated for up to 3–4 days; stir or shake before serving if separation occurs.