Black Iced Tea (Sweet Tea) is a real classic of the American South and by far the most popular way that camellia sinensis is consumed in the USA. Adding our high quality tea to this classic recipe is a surefire way to a successful Summer refreshment.
What you need to make 1.5 litres of Black Iced Tea
- 36g of black tea - The important aspect here is for the tea to be strong. We use Lover’s Leap Ceylon tea, but we recommend a similar tea as some black tea blends can leave the iced tea cloudy.
- 1 litre of filtered water
- 500g of ice
- 24g (6 teaspoons) of sugar (or stevia or honey or other sweetener). We recommend enough sweetener is added to make the tea nice and sweet. The bitterness of black tea doesn’t suit an unsweetened cold drink.
Directions
- Put the ice aside in a container or pitcher that can contain at least 1.5 litres of fluid and can withstand the hot tea without breaking. Refrigerate while brewing.
- Bring the litre of water to boil in a pot or kettle. Allow the water to come down from the boil slightly and pour it over the tea (which should be in a pot large enough for 1 litre of fluid). Allow the tea to brew for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the tea bags/infuser once the tea has brewed to a reddish-brown appearance.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in your sweetener. Allow it to stand for a minute.
- Carefully pour the brewed tea over the ice. Most of the ice will melt instantly. Refrigerate the tea further before serving.
For a Half and Half (Arnold Palmer)
Make your Black Iced Tea as above, except step 3, and pour 1.5 litres of lemonade into the iced tea so the blend is now 50% Sweet Tea and 50% lemonade. Depending on the sweetness of your lemonade, you can add sweetener to the tea. For every 200ml, add one shot of vodka to your Arnold Palmer for it to become a John Daly ;)