There’s nothing like a glass of iced tea to cool you down on a hot day. For an extra refreshing and delicious beverage, you should try this classic lemon iced tea recipe. It’s made with our ‘Great British Cuppa’ English Breakfast loose leaf tea, which has a robust and full-bodied flavour that goes well with the zesty lemon and mint. Plus, it’s easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients.
This lemon iced tea recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any time of the day. You can enjoy it as it is or add some sweetener of your choice to make it more indulgent. You can also customise it by adding more or less lemon or mint according to your taste. Moreover, we’ve made this recipe for about 4 servings. Feel free to add more cups of water and teaspoons of loose leaf tea for larger quantities. We used 1 heaped teaspoon for ever cup of water. For a popular and quality English Breakfast blend, you could try Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast loose leaf for a rich taste.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon iced tea:
- 4 cups of water
- 4 heaped teaspoons of English Breakfast loose leaf tea (or 4 tea bags)
- 4 large lemon slices
- Sweetener of choice (optional)
- Ice cubes
- Additional lemon slices for serving
- Fresh mint leaves for garnishing
And here are the steps to follow:
- In a large heatproof pitcher, jug, French press, or teapot, add the water and bring it to a boil. Alternatively, you can boil the water in a kettle and then pour it into your container.
- Add the loose leaf tea and the lemon slices and let it steep for 5 minutes. If you’re using tea bags, you can use a string or a clip to attach them to the rim of your container for easy removal later.
- If you want to sweeten your tea, you can add your preferred sweetener at this stage. We recommend using honey for a natural and healthy option, but you can also use sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, or any other sweetener you like. Stir well until the sweetener dissolves and taste the tea to adjust the sweetness as needed.
- Strain the tea and discard the tea leaves and the lemon slices. You can use a sieve, a plate, or a cheesecloth to block the tea leaves and pour the contents into another container if you have no other way to strain or remove the tea. Otherwise, using a pitcher or large infuser is the easiest option.
- Let the tea cool down to room temperature and then transfer it to the fridge until it’s nice and cold. This may take about an hour or two depending on your fridge temperature.
- When you’re ready to serve, fill some glasses with ice cubes and pour the cold tea over them. Add some additional lemon slices for extra flavor and garnish with some fresh mint leaves for a refreshing touch.
This lemon iced tea is both zesty and refreshing with a sweet citrus finish! It’s ideal for hot summer days, party drinks, and many other occasions.
If you would like to make larger quantities, just change the recipe accordingly. We used 1 heaped teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every cup of water. Add as many lemon slices as you like depending on how zesty you want it! Additionally, it’s sometimes best to add just half a cup of water per tea serving as the ice will water the drink down at the end.
You can also make this recipe ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just give it a good stir before serving and enjoy!
Another interesting way to make a lemon iced tea is by cold brewing the tea. If you have more time on your hands, this method can bring out more flavour and require less ice (which stops it being watered down). Click here for an easy iced tea cold brew recipe. Or read our article on Cold Brewing Tea: The Ultimate Guide for Refreshing Tea Lovers.
We hope you love this classic lemon iced tea recipe as much as we do. If you try it out, let us know what you think in the comments below or share your photos with us on Instagram using #bloomstea.
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