Unsweet Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Pour 8 cups (about 1.9 L) of fresh cold water into a kettle or saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Steep the tea

Remove the boiling water from heat. Add 4 black tea bags to the hot water and cover the pot or kettle. Let the tea steep 4 to 6 minutes depending on desired strength (4 minutes for a lighter unsweet tea, 6 minutes for a fuller-bodied unsweet tea).

Remove tea bags and cool

After steeping, remove the tea bags, gently pressing each against the side with a spoon to extract liquid but avoid squeezing out bitter tannins. Allow the brewed tea to cool at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.

Chill and dilute

Pour the cooled tea into a pitcher. Add 4 cups of ice directly to the pitcher to chill and slightly dilute the tea. If you prefer to avoid dilution, chill the tea in the refrigerator until cold (about 1–2 hours) and add ice to individual glasses instead.

To serve, pour the chilled unsweet tea into glasses over ice. Add a lemon slice to each glass and a sprig of fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately.