Iced Teas & Iced Coffees Recipe

Brew

Bring 1 liter (about 4 cups) of water to a near boil (about 95°C / 203°F). Place 8 teaspoons loose black tea (or 8 tea bags) into a heatproof pitcher or pot. Pour the hot water over the tea, cover, and steep 4–5 minutes for a full-bodied brew. Do not over-steep or the tea will turn bitter.

Sweeten (optional)

If using sugar, while the brew is still hot add 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir until fully dissolved. This makes a sweet tea that integrates better when chilled.

Cool & Dilute

Strain out tea leaves or remove tea bags. Add 1 liter cold water to the concentrated brew to make a full pitcher (adjust to taste). Let the pitcher cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, at least 30–40 minutes.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 3/4 full). Pour the chilled tea over the ice. Garnish with lemon slices and a mint sprig if desired. Adjust sweetness with additional simple syrup or sugar to taste.

Brew

Bring 1 liter of water to just under boiling (about 80–85°C / 176–185°F). Add 6 teaspoons green tea (or 6 green tea bags) to a heatproof pitcher. Pour the hot water over the tea, cover, and steep 2–3 minutes to avoid bitterness.

Sweeten & Infuse

While still warm, stir in 3 tablespoons honey or agave until dissolved. Zest one orange into the tea, then add a few orange slices and about 10 fresh mint leaves to the warm brew to release aroma.

Cool & Finish

Discard tea leaves or remove tea bags. Add 1 liter cold water to dilute. Allow the pitcher to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold (30–45 minutes). Serve over ice and garnish with extra orange slices and mint.

Combine

In a large jar or pitcher, combine 1 cup coarsely ground coffee with 4 cups cold water. Stir to ensure all grounds are wet. Cover tightly.

Steep

Steep the mixture in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 12–18 hours (12 hours for a lighter concentrate, 18 hours for stronger).

Strain

After steeping, strain the concentrate through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag into a clean container. Press gently to extract liquid but avoid forcing fine sediment through.

Dilute & Sweeten

To serve, fill a glass with ice. Pour cold brew concentrate about halfway (about 1/2 cup) and top with milk (about 1/2 cup) or water to taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons simple syrup or preferred sweetener if desired.

Prepare Espresso

Pull two shots of espresso (about 60 ml total). If you do not have an espresso machine, brew a very strong 60–90 ml of coffee using a Moka pot or Aeropress. Let it cool slightly (a few minutes).

Assemble

Fill a tall glass with 1 cup ice. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup if using. Pour cooled espresso over the ice. Top with 1 cup milk (or dairy-free alternative). Stir to combine.

Serve

Garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon if desired. Adjust sweetness with additional syrup or simple syrup to taste.

Simple syrup: Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan (e.g., 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water). Heat until sugar dissolves, cool and store refrigerated. Use to sweeten iced drinks because it dissolves easily over ice.

Lemon/Orange: Add lemon wedges to black iced tea for brightness or orange slices/zest to green iced tea for citrus aroma. Gently bruise mint leaves before adding to release oils.

Iced Coffee Variations: For a creamier cold brew, use a higher milk ratio. For flavored iced coffee, stir in flavored syrups (vanilla, caramel) when assembling. For iced lattes, pour milk over espresso slowly to create a layered look.