Drinks
Lemon and Mint Iced Tea
Cold-brewed overnight so it never goes bitter, and the only thing in my fridge all August.
Prep
5 min
Cook
8 hrs
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Ingredients
4 — black tea bags (or 4 tsp loose leaf)
1.5L — cold water
1 — large bunch of mint
2 — lemons, one sliced, one juiced
3 tbsp — honey, or to taste
Hot-brewed tea that is then chilled goes cloudy and bitter, because the heat pulls out tannins that cold water leaves alone. Cold brewing solves it entirely and takes no work.
You start it before bed and it is ready when you wake up. That is the whole method.
Method
Put the tea, the mint and the sliced lemon into a large jug of cold water. Do not heat anything.
Cover and leave in the fridge overnight, or at least eight hours.
Strain out the tea and the solids. Leaving the bags in past this point is how it turns bitter after all that care.
Stir in the lemon juice and the honey until dissolved, tasting as you go.
Serve over a lot of ice with a fresh sprig of mint.
A note
Honey does not dissolve well in cold liquid. Loosen it with a splash of warm water first, then stir it through.
Good to know
More About This Recipe
Nutrition
Calories
45 kcal
Protein
0g
Carbs
12g
Fat
0g
Tips & tricks
Cold brew rather than hot-brew-and-chill — heat is what pulls the bitter tannins out of tea, and cold water doesn’t extract them.
Strain the solids out fully once it’s brewed. Tea left steeping past eight hours turns bitter no matter how cold the water was.
Warm the honey with a splash of water before stirring it in — straight honey clumps and sinks in cold tea rather than dissolving.
Substitutions
Honey
Simple syrup dissolves more easily if you want the tea perfectly clear; use the same quantity.
Black tea bags
Any loose-leaf black tea works — about a tablespoon per litre, strained through a fine sieve.
Mint
A few basil leaves instead, if that's what's growing — different, but good.
Pairs well with
A slow-morning pairing — something cold and citrus-bright against the syrup.
Storage & leftovers
Keeps well — covered in the fridge for up to four days. The mint fades after the first day or two, so drop a fresh sprig into each glass rather than relying on what's already in the jug.
Questions people ask
Why does my hot-brewed iced tea always turn cloudy?
Can I make this ahead for a party?
How do I make it stronger without it going bitter?
Postcards from my kitchen
Made this one?
Tell me how it went, or what you did differently. The best changes to these recipes have come from readers.