There aren’t that many ingredients in the perfect summer day: a shady front porch, the smell of freshly cut grass, the distant hum of cicadas, and a tall glass of iced tea. But once that scene is set, one important question remains: what kind of iced tea belongs in the glass?
While certain brews have earned their place as iced tea classics, almost any tea that’s typically served hot can be transformed into a refreshing cold drink. If you’ve got a little time and the willingness to experiment, the possibilities are nearly endless, and I’m about to help you explore a few of them.
Some Like It Cold: How to Make Any Tea an Iced Tea
The traditional method of brewing a glass of iced tea is to brew a cup of hot tea first. Put a teaspoon of loose tea in an infuser, or use a single sachet or tea bag, but cut the amount of boiling water you would typically use in half to create a concentrate. Once your tea has steeped, pour it over a glass filled with ice, and top it off with cold water as needed.
And just like that, any type of tea can now be an iced tea! The only question is: which tea should you start with?
It just so happens I’ve got some opinions about that.
Japanese Teas
John Harney - company’s founder, liked to start his mornings with a cup of our Japanese Sencha green tea from the central Shizuoka province. When iced, the bolder notes of this traditional sencha are reduced, creating a savory iced tea option with pleasant accents of citrus.
Indian Teas
One of our stronger black teas, BIO Assam, is processed in a “cut, tear, curl” machine, which converts tea leaves into small, fast-oxidizing pellets. This creates an extremely full-bodied espresso-style tea that’s intensely brisk/astringent. If you’re looking for an iced tea with a bold bite (something like an iced coffee), you’ll find it here.
The flavors of dark red fruits and chestnuts define our Darjeeling, a mildly brisk and silky-bodied tea that’s as refreshing cold as it is served hot.
Flavored Black Teas
Inspired by countless memorable days spent in Paris - and by Mike’s wife, Brigitte, who is from the City of Light - Paris Tea is a beautifully balanced and sophisticated blend. Just like Paris itself, it offers layers of flavor that unfold with every sip. Rich black tea and smooth oolong are complemented by notes of black currant, vanilla, bergamot, and caramel, creating an elegant and irresistibly aromatic cup. Served over ice, it becomes a refreshing and refined summer treat.
The delightful combination of juicy peaches and vibrant ginger has made Peaches & Ginger one of our most beloved flavored teas. Crafted with real pieces of peach and ginger, this black tea blend delivers a perfect balance of sweet fruitiness and gentle spice. Delicious both hot and iced, it brews into a refreshing, full-flavored cup that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Herbals
For those who love lavender, our French Super Blue Lavender (naturally caffeine-free) is the ideal herbal blend. Its deep blue hue, intense floral taste, and captivating aroma translate seamlessly into its iced version.
Yellow & Blue is a wonderfully refreshing herbal blend that makes an exceptional iced tea. The delicate floral notes of chamomile, lavender, and cornflowers create a naturally smooth and aromatic infusion, while its caffeine-free nature makes it perfect for all-day enjoyment. Served chilled, this vibrant tisane offers a light, calming refreshment with a beautifully balanced floral character. Its stunning golden-blue hues and gentle flavors make it as enjoyable to look at as it is to drink—an elegant choice for warm summer days.
Cool and Convenient: Our Fresh Brew Iced Teas
Icing hot teas is a grand experiment…but for those times when you’re not quite feeling the experimental urge, we’ve created Fresh Brew Iced Teas: a collection of our most popular iced teas in convenient, easy-to-brew pouches.
Each individual pouch is pre-measured to make a two-quart pitcher. Just put one pouch in your pitcher, pour two cups of boiling water over it, add six cups of cold water, then remove the pouch (squeezing it gently). You can chill it a little longer if you’d like or you can just pour it over ice. It’s a little bit of effort for a whole lot of flavor.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Transforming a cup of hot tea into iced tea is a rewarding experience, both in the making and in the drinking. Now that I’ve given you some starter ideas, I hope you’ll have fun conducting your own experiments this summer and if you discover a typically hot-brewed tea that you love cold, let me know, so I can try it too!
