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Ingredients
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Tea Base
Sweetening Syrup
Finish & Serve
Method
Tea Base
Brew tea
Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes for a balanced, full-bodied brew (steep 6–8 minutes if you prefer stronger). Do not oversteep more than 8 minutes to avoid bitterness.
Remove tea bags
After steeping, carefully remove and gently squeeze tea bags against the side of the pot to extract flavor, then discard the bags.
Sweetening Syrup
Make simple syrup
While tea is still hot, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves and mixture is clear. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from heat. Allow the syrup to cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
Sweeten the tea
Pour the warm simple syrup into the hot brewed tea and stir thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1/2 cup more sugar syrup (made the same way) if you prefer sweeter tea.
Finish & Serve
Dilute and chill
Add 4 cups cold water to the sweetened tea to cool and dilute to serving strength. Stir, then let the tea come to room temperature for 15–20 minutes, or place in the refrigerator until chilled (about 1 hour).
Storage
Keep leftover tea refrigerated in a covered pitcher for up to 5 days. Stir before serving; add more ice or cold water to taste when refilling.