Iced Green Tea Recipe

Heat water

Bring 800 ml water to just under a simmer. Target temperature 75–80°C (167–176°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, bring to a gentle steam but not a rolling boil.

Steep tea

Place 8 g loose-leaf green tea into a heatproof teapot or large heatproof container. Pour the 800 ml water over the leaves. Steep for 1.5–2 minutes for a bright, clean flavor. Avoid oversteeping to prevent bitterness.

Strain and cool

Strain the brewed tea into a heatproof pitcher to remove leaves. Immediately set the pitcher in an ice bath (large bowl with ice and cold water) or let cool briefly at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to stop extraction and preserve freshness.

If using sweetener, dissolve 2 tbsp granulated sugar into 30 ml hot water. Stir until fully dissolved to make a simple syrup. Taste the brewed tea and add the syrup to the tea pitcher a little at a time until desired sweetness is reached. Stir to combine.

If adding lemon, stir in 30 ml fresh lemon juice to the cooled tea. Add lemon slices and mint leaves to the pitcher for extra aroma and presentation. Adjust amount of lemon to taste—start with 15 ml if you prefer subtler citrus.

Chill and dilute if necessary: if the tea is stronger than you like after cooling, add up to 200 ml cold water to reach preferred strength. Refrigerate the pitcher until cold, about 30–45 minutes, or fill glasses with ice immediately for faster serving.

To serve, fill glasses with ice (about 3 cups total across several glasses), pour the chilled tea over the ice, garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves. Serve immediately.