Gallon Tasty Tea Recipe

Boil water

Bring 4 liters of water to a rolling boil in a large kettle or pot.

Steep tea

Remove the boiling water from heat. Add 16 black tea bags to the hot water and steep 8–10 minutes for robust flavor (6–8 minutes for milder). Stir once gently to ensure tea bags are saturated.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags. Gently press each bag against the side to extract remaining brewed tea, but avoid tearing.

Make simple syrup-style sweetener

If making sweet tea, dissolve 1.5 cups granulated sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Stir until completely dissolved. While the brewed tea is still warm (but not boiling), stir the dissolved sugar into the tea so it blends evenly. Taste and adjust sweetness; add up to 1/2 cup more sugar if a sweeter result is desired.

Add flavor

If using lemon and/or mint, add lemon slices and mint leaves to the warm tea and allow to steep 5 minutes for light infusion. Remove mint stems before chilling if you prefer less bite.

Cool and dilute

Pour the hot brewed tea into a clean 1-gallon (approximately 3.8 L) beverage dispenser or a large container. Add 1 liter of cold water to dilute and bring the volume and temperature down. Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust: if too strong, add more cold water in 250 ml increments until desired strength is reached.

Chill

Refrigerate the tea until cold, at least 2 hours. Alternatively, add ice to the dispenser just before serving to chill quickly (note: will dilute the tea as ice melts).

Serve

Serve over ice in cups. Provide lemon slices and extra sugar or simple syrup on the side for guests who want additional flavoring or sweetness. For unsweet tea, skip the sugar step and offer sweetener at the table.