Three ways to make cold tea this summer
As the temperature rises, the hot, humid days make me want to reach for a full-flavoured, cold drink to cool down.
Cold tea is the perfect solution.
It tastes delicious, and you can make it look beautiful by serving it in pretty glassware and adding fruit, flowers and leaves as garnish.
Here are three easy ways you can to make your own cold tea:
Cold brewed sparkling tea
This is my favourite way to serve cold tea. Funnel dry tea leaves straight into a bottle of sparking water (1 gram of leaves for every 100 ml - for example, 3 grams of tea in a 300 ml bottle). Put the lid on and lie on its side in the fridge for two hours, then strain and serve.
Pro tip: if your tea leaves are large and hard to get in the bottle, briefly wet them with hot water first and push them in with the handle end of a teaspoon.
Best for: black and oolong teas with floral notes or white teas.
Learn more here: How to make sparkling tea
Cold brewed 'still' tea
A super-simple, set and forget method. Add dry tea leaves into a teapot, glass, jar or pitcher - any vessel works. Use roughly 2 grams of tea to 100mls of water. Pour in cold, ideally filtered, water and leave in the fridge overnight. Aim for at least eight hours.
Summer hack: after you’ve made a hot cup of tea, reuse the wet leaves for an overnight cold brew.
Best for: black teas and dark oolongs (surprisingly sweet).
Learn more here: How to cold-brew tea
Sugar-free iced tea
This method creates a delicious, sweet, glowing cold tea that looks great served with ice and an abundance of garnish.
Hot steep 1 gram of tea per 50 mls hot water for 3 minutes, then pour into a glass jar or pitcher. Stir in ½ teaspoon of sweetener (I like to use alluose or honey), then place into the fridge until cold. Serve over ice and and garnish generously.
Pro tip: experiment by blending two different teas together after hot steeping them separately.
Best for: roasted green teas, full-bodied black teas.
Learn more here: How to make sugar-free iced tea
I'd love to see your cold tea creations! Tag @theteacurator on social or email me: anna@theteacurator.co.nz.
~Anna x
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