How to Make Delicious Iced Tea.

Once the weather turns warm, a tall glass of iced tea is about the best thing going. Making it is easy, but a few small habits make the difference between a glass that’s just cold and one that actually tastes good. Here’s how we make ours.

Step 1: Choose Your Tea. Start with good leaf. We carry a wide variety of high-quality loose-leaf teas that make great iced tea. For the classic glass, I’d reach for a black tea like our Assam or Ceylon. If you want something milder, green tea or white tea work nicely too.

Step 2: Brew Your Tea. Bring your water to a boil and steep the leaves. Our usual guide is 1 tablespoon of tea per 8 ounces of water. For iced tea, double it. So if you’d normally use 1 tablespoon for 8 ounces, use 2 tablespoons for 8 ounces when you’re making it to pour over ice.

Once the water boils, give it a few minutes to cool before the tea goes in. Steep for 3-5 minutes depending on the type of tea, and check the specific instructions for whichever tea you picked.

Step 3: Sweeten Your Tea (Optional). If you like it sweet, add sugar or another sweetener now, while the tea is still warm. We offer natural sweeteners like honey and agave nectar if you want just a touch.

Step 4: Chill Your Tea. Now cool it down. Pour it over ice, or put it in the refrigerator. Either way, give it enough time to chill all the way through before you serve it.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy! Pour it into a tall glass over ice and add a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint. That little extra makes it feel like summer.

That’s really all there is to it: pick the right tea, brew it properly, sweeten if you like, and chill it. Grab a bag of Beantown Tea and make yourself a glass.