Have you found your go-to beverage for the summer months? The best option to stay hydrated is water, yet I’m usually on the lookout for a drink with a bit more flavour. The problem I find is that many soft drinks are full of sugar. So, can cold brew tea be the answer?
What is a Cold Brew Tea?
Most of us brew tea and tisanes with hot or boiling water. In this process, the heat encourages the tea leaves and other blended ingredients to release their flavour. For loose leaf tea, it typically takes around 3 minutes of infusion to reach a good level of colour and flavour.
Cold brew tea relies on time rather than heat to extract the flavour. For this process, you add two teaspoons of your favourite loose leaf tea into a bottle or pitcher, fill with cold water, cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4- 8 hours. Due to the long brewing time, it makes sense to prepare in the evening. Then, your cold brew tea is ready to drink the next day.
Cold Tea Preparation Tips
You don’t need specialist equipment to make a cold brew, however, here are my tips for the best results:
- Although the drink only uses cold water, it is good to sterilise the bottle or pitcher with boiling water before making your brew.
- Give the tea or tisane a quick hot rinse to kill any bacteria (pour hot water over it and discard straight away).
- Water from the tap is fine. However, as a tea sommelier, I have to advise that you achieve a smoother, fresher flavour when filtered water is used.
Almost every tea or tisanes can be cold brewed, experiment with different varieties! I find that fruity and minty options are wonderfully refreshing on a hot day.
Are There Benefits to Cold Brew Tea?
When brewed hot, tea releases caffeine and tannins, however, when we use the cold water infusion method, the levels of caffeine and tannins are reduced. As tannins are astringent and add bitterness to the tea, some people find cold brews to be more mellow.
The good news is that antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids are present in both hot and cold brew tea and these have many health benefits.
Is Cold Brew The Same as Iced Tea or Kombucha?
Cold brew is not the same as iced tea. That’s because iced tea is made with hot water, which is then cooled with ice. As a result, the flavour will vary between iced and cold brew, even if you use the same tea. Equally, cold brew is different to kombucha, which is a sparkling, fermented tea. This process requires large-scale brewing equipment and takes weeks to reach perfection.
Why not try all three and see which you prefer?
Do You Add Milk & Sugar to Cold Brew Tea?
You can add milk to cold brew black tea, but as with hot brews, it doesn’t work with green, white and oolong tea or tisanes. As for sugar, it is healthier if you leave this out. As an alternative, why not add a slice of lemon or orange to your glass?
Serving Cold Brew Tea
I know we all love a cuppa, but I’m always keen to demonstrate the versatility of tea. Last summer, I took cold brews to a few Summer artisan markets. Initially, people were hesitant to try but many enjoyed a different spin for a refreshing summer drink.
I’ll be checking the forecast this summer and if the sun is due to shine, I’ll prepare cold brew tea for a couple of events. If you spot my stall, come along and give it a try! I’d love to know what you think.
