Iced Tea Recipe

Brew the tea

Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Place 6 black tea bags (or the equivalent amount of loose leaf in a tea infuser) into a heatproof pitcher or large heatproof container. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.

Steep

Let the tea steep for 4–6 minutes for a standard-strength iced tea (6 minutes yields a fuller flavor). Do not over-steep beyond about 8 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

Sweeten (optional)

While the tea is still hot, add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness: for less sweet, start with 1/2 cup and increase to taste. If you prefer unsweetened iced tea, skip this step.

Dilute & cool

Remove and discard tea bags (or remove the infuser). Add 8 cups cold water to the brewed tea to dilute to serving strength and help it cool more quickly. Let the tea come down to near room temperature (15–20 minutes), then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 3/4 cup ice per 12-oz glass). Pour chilled tea over the ice and serve immediately. Garnish as desired with lemon slices or mint sprigs.

Make a mint infusion (hot method)

Add 1 cup fresh mint leaves to the hot, steeping tea at the same time as the tea bags for the last 1–2 minutes of steeping for a bright mint flavor. Alternatively, after removing tea bags, add the mint leaves to the hot tea, gently bruise them with the back of a spoon, and steep for 5–10 minutes depending on how strong you want the mint note. Remove the mint leaves before chilling.

Cold-brew mint option

For a gentler mint flavor, add bruised mint leaves to the pitcher after diluting with cold water and refrigerate 1–4 hours. Remove leaves once desired strength is reached to avoid vegetal bitterness.

Garnish

Place 1 mint sprig on each glass when serving for aroma and presentation.

If serving plain/simple iced tea, omit the mint entirely. Optionally add a lemon slice to each glass before serving for a bright citrus note.