Soft Drink, Ice Tea Recipe
Make Soft Drink, Ice Tea Recipe in just 1h 15m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Iced Tea Base
Flavor & Garnish (optional)
Method
Iced Tea Base
Steep tea
Place 4 black tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes for standard strength or up to 8 minutes for a stronger brew. Remove and discard the tea bags, gently squeezing once to extract remaining tea.
Sweeten while hot
While tea is still hot, add 1 cup granulated sugar. Stir briskly until fully dissolved. Tasting: if you prefer less sweetness, start with 3/4 cup and adjust after cooling.
Add lemon and dilute
Stir in 1 cup fresh lemon juice. Add 4 cups cold water to the pitcher to dilute and cool the concentrate to serving strength. Stir to combine.
Chill
Transfer the pitcher to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly cold. For quicker cooling, add ice (see serving step) but be aware ice will dilute the tea as it melts.
Flavor & Garnish (optional)
When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes (about 3/4 cup ice per glass). Pour the chilled iced tea over the ice, leaving room for garnishes. Add a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint to each glass. For a fizzy soft-drink style iced tea, top each glass with a splash (about 2–3 tablespoons) of chilled club soda or lemon-lime soda just before serving.
Adjust sweetness or tartness to taste by stirring in additional sugar or lemon juice. Serve immediately.