When the Laredo heat sets in, the best cup of tea is the one you never had to boil. Cold-brewing is exactly what it sounds like: instead of steeping tea in hot water for a few minutes, you steep it in cold water, in the fridge, for several hours. The result is a smoother, naturally sweeter, far less bitter iced tea — and it is almost impossible to get wrong.
If you prefer your tea hot, our guide on how to make herbal tea covers that. But for iced tea, cold brew is in a class of its own.
Why cold brew tastes smoother
Hot water is fast and aggressive. It pulls everything out of the leaf at once — including the tannins, the compounds responsible for that dry, bitter, astringent edge. That is why an over-steeped hot tea, poured over ice, so often tastes harsh and needs a spoonful of sugar to fix.
Cold water works slowly and gently. Over several hours it draws out the sweet, delicate, aromatic flavors while leaving most of the bitterness behind. You end up with a rounder, cleaner cup that is easy to drink with little or no sweetener. As a bonus, cold-brewed caffeinated teas tend to come out lower in caffeine than their hot-steeped versions.
What you need
Almost nothing: a jar or pitcher with a lid, cold filtered water, your loose-leaf tea (or tea bags), and a strainer. That is the whole kit.
The basic ratio
Start with about one tablespoon of loose-leaf tea per 8 to 12 ounces of cold water (or one tea bag per large cup). Cold brewing is forgiving — it is very hard to over-steep — so when in doubt, lean a little generous, especially with light herbal blends.
Step by step
- Add your loose-leaf tea to a clean jar or pitcher — roughly one tablespoon per cup of water.
- Fill with cold, filtered water and give it one gentle stir.
- Cover and refrigerate. Steep 6 to 12 hours: 6 to 8 for herbal and green blends, 8 to 12 for heartier black or rooibos. Overnight is the easiest timer there is.
- Strain out the leaves, or lift out the bag or infuser.
- Serve over ice. Add a slice of citrus, fresh mint, or a touch of honey if you like.
Tips for the best cold brew
- Herbal blends shine cold. Mint, hibiscus, citrus, fruit, and floral blends are especially crisp and refreshing over ice.
- Sweeten smart. Sugar and honey do not dissolve well in cold water. Stir in a little honey dissolved in warm water first, or let the tea’s natural sweetness carry it — usually it can.
- Keep it fresh. Because it is never heated, treat cold brew like fresh food: keep it covered and refrigerated, and enjoy it within about three days.
- Make it sparkle. Top a glass of cold brew with soda water for a simple, homemade herbal spritzer.
Skip the wait — try our Summer Coolers
If you would rather not think about ratios, we built a whole line for exactly this. Our Summer Coolers are loose-leaf blends designed to be brewed cold and poured over ice — bright peppermint-citrus, hibiscus, and freeze-dried fruit blends made for hot afternoons. Pour, chill, and sip.
Prefer to build your own? Browse our herb collection and start a pitcher tonight. By morning, iced tea is waiting — no stove, no bitterness, no fuss.