Fresh Brew Unsweet Iced Tea Recipe

Heat water

Bring 8 cups of fresh water to a rolling boil in a kettle or saucepan.

Steep tea

Place 6 black tea bags (or 6 teaspoons of loose black tea in a tea infuser) into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water directly over the tea. Cover the pitcher to keep heat in and steep for 5 minutes for a standard-strength unsweet iced tea or up to 7 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Remove tea leaves/bags

After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves immediately to stop extraction and avoid bitterness.

Cool to room temperature

Let the hot tea sit, uncovered, at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes until it stops steaming. This short cool-down reduces dilution from ice and prevents cloudiness.

Chill

Once cooled to room temperature, place the pitcher uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly chilled. For faster service, fill a large bowl with ice and set the covered pitcher in the ice bath for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Assemble drinks

Fill individual serving glasses with ice (about 1 cup of ice per 8-oz glass). Pour chilled tea into each glass, leaving room to top with a splash of cold water if desired to adjust strength (roughly 1–2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup per glass).

Garnish and serve

Garnish each glass with an optional lemon slice and fresh mint sprig. Serve immediately. Store any leftover chilled tea in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.