Iced tea recipes

Tea is a very versatile drink. It is a perfect companion during dark and cold winter evenings to warm you up and the iced version is a great refreshment on a hot summer day to cool you down! 

COLD BREW ICED TEA

There are various techniques for making iced tea, but our favourite is the cold brew method, which is super easy to make and which leaves the tea especially refreshing and full of flavour. The tea can stand in the refrigerator for days, while still maintaining its pleasant taste and freshness. If you want to know about other ways of making iced tea, you can read about different techniques here.

The most familiar version of iced tea is probably from black tea, since it is always found in supermarkets, but iced tea can actually be made from all versions of tea. Iced tea from unoxidized (white and green teas) or less oxidized teas (lighter oolongs) can really surprise you in a positive way!

When making iced tea, if possible, use high-quality loose leaf tea so you could enjoy the many flavours that loose leaf tea has. The flavours separate from the leaf over a longer period of time, so you can make also several brews from one tea. This means that when the first bottle has ran empty, you can simply pour new water on the tea, put it in the fridge, and the next day you can enjoy a nice refreshment again.

YOU CAN ADD (ALMOST) EVERYTHING

There are no restrictions in making iced teas, your imagination is the limit! Although cold brewed tea tastes great just in its natural form (without additives), it can be mixed with all kinds of additional components, from different berries and fruits to mints and herbs.With white and green tea, try choosing less intense extras, so that the natural taste of the tea wouldn't get lost.

If possible, use organic fruits, wash the skin thoroughly or remove the skin entirely before adding them to the tea. The pesticide residue is the biggest on the skin and as the fruits will be sitting in the iced tea for hours, the possibility of drinking harmful substances is also bigger. But it would be best to not get any pesticide residues together with the delicious drink :) 

In the recipes below, we use Renegade Tea Estate teas. As Georgian teas in general, our teas are naturally sweeter, softer, and fruitier, so there is no need to add extra sweeteners. Of course, the addition of honey or some syrup, for example, is not prohibited if you prefer sweeter tastes. And if you use tea from other regions, test it out first and see if you'd like to add any sweeteners. 

Making iced tea does not require much of an effort, and most importantly, by making it yourself, you know exactly what it consists of. Just add all the ingredients in a sealable bottle and keep it in the fridge overnight :)

Here are some ideas from us, but you can also just see what you have at home and make a mix yourself. One of the easiest ways is to use frozen berries or fruits - no need to cut or peel anything and they serve also instead of ice cubes, making the tea extra cold without diluting the tea too much! 

ICED TEA IDEAS FROM THE RENEGADES

OOLONG TEAS

	COLD BREW OOLONG WITH ORANGE AND MANGO YOU NEED: 10 g of lighter loose-leaf oolong (for example Miss Ohh Long, Prodigy Mesame or Lazy Morning) 1 orange, sliced (if possible, use an organic orange or wash the skin of the orange thoroughly ) a handful of frozen mangos 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle
COLDBREW OOLONG WITH APRICOT AND LEMON BALM YOU NEED: 10g of darker loose-leaf oolong (for example Red Sunrise) 2-3 apricots (use organic apricots if possible, or remove the skin) 1 branch of lemon balm or some other mint 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle
	COLD BREW OOLONG WITH LIMELON AND RHUBARB YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf oolong (for example Miss Ohh Long or Prodigy Mesame) 1-2 slices of limelon (a type of small melon) One piece of rhubarb (peeled) 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle

BLACK TEAS

COLD BREW BLACK TEA WITH APPLE AND BLACKCURRANT YOU NEED: 10 g of lighter loose-leaf black tea (for example Berry Breeze) 1/2 apple, sliced 3-4 blackcurrant leaves (if you don't have any, you can also leave these out) A handful of blackcurrants (can be also frozen) 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle
	COLD BREW BLACK TEA WITH DIFFERENT BERRIES YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf black tea (for example Berry Breeze or Renegade Black) 50 grams of berry mix (strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, cherry, plum. You can also use frozen berries) 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle

GREEN TEAS

	COLD BREW GREEN TEA WITH WATERMELON AND MINT YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf green tea (for example Tulip Garden or Green Velvet) 2 small slices of watermelon (remove the skin or use an organic watermelon) 1 branch of mint or lemon balm 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle

COLD BREW GREEN TEA WITH RHUBARB YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf green tea (for example Green Velvet or Sunset Garden) One smaller rhubarb, peeled and sliced (can be also frozen rhubarb pieces)  1 liter of cold water  Sealable bottle
	COLD BREW GREEN TEA WITH PEAR AND LEMON BALM  YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf green tea (for example Green Velvet or Tulip Garden) 1 pear (use an organic pear or remove the peel) 1 branch of lemon balm or other mint 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle

WHITE TEA

COLD BREW WHITE TEA WITH BLACKCURRANT LEAVES YOU NEED: 10g of loose-leaf white tea (for example Cold Spring or Imereti Summer) 4-5 blackcurrant leaves 1 liter of cold water Sealable bottle

You can find teas to make the iced teas here.