Move over iced coffee… like any true northerner, I know there’s only one caffeinated drink that should be served iced on a hot day, and that is, of course, tea. I like to brew a big batch using English breakfast tea bags and simply sweeten it with lemon and honey.
Alice is a member of our expert food team. She’s also a northerner, which means she loves tea in all its forms, especially iced. In summer, she whips up a big batch a couple of times a week, so she’s always got a cooling drink ready to go.
What tea is best for making iced tea?
A classic base for iced tea is regular tea bags. They allow you to be freer with your flavourings. You can also easily experiment with different teas once you know the basic recipe. Other teas that work well include earl grey, lady grey, chamomile, green tea and lemon verbena. Fruit teas are also tasty when chilled. A good ratio to go by is six tea bags to 1.5 litres of boiling water.
How to sweeten iced tea
Iced tea is often sweetened simply with sugar or runny honey. It's stirred into the hot tea to dissolve and then the tea is chilled. Sugar syrups can also be used – a simple sugar syrup is easy to make and just requires water and caster sugar. Make up a batch and store it in a bottle so you have some on hand to add a little at a time to a jug of iced tea.
Our basic sugar syrup recipe:
- Tip 300g caster sugar into a saucepan with 150ml water.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Allow to cool before transferring to a sterilised bottle.
- Store in the fridge.
How to flavour iced tea
- Herbs A simple but effective way to add extra aromatics to your iced tea. Herbs that work well include mint, basil and lemon thyme. You could also try makrut lime leaves. Just avoid herbs that are solely savoury, such as coriander and chives.
- Elderflower A fresh sprig of elderflower can pep up a simple iced tea. Submerge a large handful into your iced tea and leave it to infuse as the tea cools down. Alternatively, add a good glug of elderflower cordial to the tea before you add any sweetener.
- Fruits Sliced peaches and apricots, fresh berries and citrus fruits all complement tea well. You could also add chopped cucumber for a refreshing taste.
- Alcohol For an adults-only version of iced tea, add some shots of your choice of alcohol. A spiced rum, Pimm's or gin would all work well. Simply add to your iced tea after it's been chilled.
