Stay Cool with Custom Iced Tea

Refreshing iced tea is a fantastic beverage to drink throughout the summer. It keeps you hydrated while providing you with so many flavor combinations that you’ll never be bored! We think that making iced tea can be elevated to an art form, and we really love to experiment with different types as the summer wears on!

To make a basic pitcher of iced tea, boil 2 quarts of water and measure out 5 tbsp., plus 1 tsp., of loose tea into a large pitcher. Pour the water over the loose tea and steep the beverage for five to 10 minutes before straining it and storing it in the refrigerator. Serve the tea over ice, sweetened with sugar, agave syrup or honey.

Of course, we offer a variety of fruity and minty teas that offer an extra punch of flavor. Lemon spice tea is particularly thirst- quenching, and black currant tea will remind well-rounded tea drinkers of the popular British brew. Raspberry tea and blackberry tea are both bursting with fresh berry flavor. Spearmint tea can be especially cooling on blazing afternoons.

Of course, you can also make your own delicious flavored teas infused with dried fruit. Try brewing up a pitcher of our Ceylon black tea or Japanese Sencha green tea. Right before you pour the water over the leaves, toss a handful of dried fruit in the pitcher. They’ll leave a delightfully subtle, but mildly sweet, flavor in the beverage. Some of our favorites to add to iced tea are sweet dried strawberries, slightly tart whole dried cranberries and summery bing cherries.

Another iced tea concoction that’s popular, particularly in the South, is Lebanese iced tea. This rose-scented beverage has pine nuts floating in it for a rich, unexpected treat. Simply pour out a cup of brewed, chilled black tea and add ½ tsp. of rose water and 1 tsp. of pine nuts to the brew. Sip it through a straw to get the nuts from the bottom of the glass.

We’ve got tons of quality loose teas to choose from on NutsOnline.com, so swing by and peruse the selection. Create your own refreshing beverages and sip your way through the heat of summer!