Mccarter Bros. Sweet Tea Recipe

Make simple hot concentrate

Bring 8 cups of water to a near boil in a kettle or saucepan. Meanwhile place 6 tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the tea bags to start a concentrated steep (this helps extract flavor quickly).

Allow the tea bags to steep in the 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes for a bright flavor or up to 7 minutes for a stronger, more robust tea. Do not stir aggressively or squeeze the bags (that can add bitter tannins).

Dissolve sugar

Remove the tea bags, gently pressing once against the side of the pitcher to release a little liquid (optional). While the tea is still hot, add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved to make a sweet tea concentrate.

Add the remaining 6 cups of cold water to the sweet tea concentrate and stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or strength: if too strong, add up to 1 cup more cold water; if too weak, brew one extra tea bag in 1 cup boiling water, steep 3–4 minutes, then add to the pitcher.

If using lemon, slice the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the pitcher for a subtle citrus brightness (about 1–2 tablespoons). Reserve the other half for slicing as garnish.

Let the tea cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes), then refrigerate uncovered until well chilled, at least 1–2 hours. For best flavor, chill 3–4 hours.

When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). Pour cold tea over ice, garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs if desired. Stir before serving.

Store leftover sweet tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir gently before serving if separation occurs.