Cold Brew. You've heard it at the coffee shops you frequent, and you've seen it online. You've even seen it in grocery stores. You see it in reference to coffee, and now you're starting to see with tea. We'll tell you how easy it is to make, how it's different from iced tea, and which teas to cold brew!
Cold Brew is Easy
If you think brewing loose leaf hot tea is as easy as pie, cold brew is the cat's meow. You need common sense, tea, a jar or a cool container like our Hario Ka-Ku Cold Brew bottle and a refrigerator. You simply need loose leaf tea in a jar or bottle, add cold water, and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Viola! Your cold brew is ready. You can strain the leaves at this point, but you don't need to. They've extracted all the flavor from the tea overnight and won't go bitter*.
*This is where your common sense comes in. You'll need the same amount of tea as you would with hot tea (2.5g per cup). If you use a quart jar, that's about 10g. Pay attention to how much tea you use the first time, and adjust accordingly the next time you make it. If you want it stronger, add more tea. Or if your cold brewed tea tastes overwhelming, use less.
Cold Brew Tea Compared to Iced Tea
The way you make cold brew is different than iced tea. At Lake Missoula Tea Company, we make iced tea using hot water (we brew a concentrate and add to ice or cold water), strain the leaves after steeping, and cool it off with ice. We store it in the fridge. Cold brew uses cold water and the tea leaves can stay in the tea. Depending on the container you use, you might need a simple pour over strainer when you get a cup from the refrigerator.
The flavor and caffeine amount is completely different. You need heat to draw out tannins, oils, and caffeine in tea. Without heat, you get less tannin and caffeine. The flavor will be milder, but also certain flavors will be more enhanced due to less oil (which imparts aroma) and tannin.
Store your cold brew in the refrigerator just like you would iced tea. It will keep for 2-4 days depending on the tea. Drink it up before it gets punchy!
Choose the Best Teas for Cold Brew
Well, that's easy too! So many teas are delicious cold brewed. Here are a few that we think are really terrific:
- Mammoth Red is a single origin black tea with sweet, malty notes. The flavor of the is Indonesian black tea brewed cold is spectacular.
- Truffle Nut is full of surprises. Chocolate is the first thing you taste, followed by delectable sweetness and rose.
- Vanilla Mint offers those two distinct flavors when brewed cold. Simply refreshing.
- Blood Orange Rooibos is a given, as it always tastes good cold and lets the citrus and vanilla notes shine!
- Sakura Cherry Green brews pink and imparts a tart yet soft flavor.
This list should be a start to your cold brewing adventures. Experiment and see which tea flavors you like the best. Share your favorites in the comments below. Happy cold brewing!