Freshly Brewed Black, Tropical Or Our Signature Sweet Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to near boil

Pour 8 cups fresh water into a kettle or large pot and bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat immediately.

Steep tea

For Black or Signature Sweet: add 4 black tea bags to the hot water. For Tropical: add 4 unsweetened tropical/fruit-flavored tea bags (instead of black). Cover and steep for 4–6 minutes depending on desired strength (5 minutes is a good target for iced tea).

Remove tea bags and cool slightly

Remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor (but avoid squeezing too hard to prevent bitterness). Let the tea cool for 5–10 minutes at room temperature.

Make simple syrup

While the tea is steeping or immediately after removing the bags, combine 0.5 cups granulated sugar and 0.5 cups hot water in a heatproof container. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely to make a 1:1 simple syrup.

Sweeten the hot tea

Pour the warm brewed black tea into a heatproof pitcher and stir in the simple syrup while the tea is still warm so it incorporates fully. Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice if using and stir to combine.

Chill or serve over ice

Either refrigerate the sweetened tea until cold (about 30–60 minutes) or for immediate service, fill glasses with ice and pour the warm-sweetened tea over the ice to cool and dilute slightly. The recipe yields 4 servings.

Infuse with fruit & herbs

After removing tropical tea bags, add 0.5 cup pineapple pieces, a few lime slices, and 2 mint sprigs to the warm tea in the pitcher. Allow to steep for 5–10 minutes off heat to pick up aroma without adding sugar. Remove the fruit and mint before serving if desired.

Optional zero-calorie sweetening

If you want a hint of sweetness without calories, stir in liquid stevia (start with 1 tsp, taste, and adjust).

Serve

Either chill in the refrigerator until cold or fill glasses with ice and pour the tropical tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lime slice and a mint sprig.

Prepare 4 tall glasses by filling each with about 1 cup of ice (adjust to preference).

For Black: pour brewed black tea over ice, garnish with a lemon slice and a mint sprig if desired. For Tropical: pour tropical-infused tea over ice and garnish with lime slice, pineapple chunk or mint. For Signature Sweet: pour sweetened black tea over ice and garnish with lemon slice.

Serve immediately with a stirrer/long spoon. If refrigerated, give the pitcher a quick stir before pouring to redistribute any settled flavors.