Do you love drinking tea? Is tea a part of your daily routine? Certainly yes. Tea, in its various forms, is amongst the most widely consumed beverage all over the world. People love drinking this beverage as it provides a refreshing start to their day and delivers the energy needed to work efficiently throughout the day. In addition to that, drinking tea is linked to numerous health benefits, including; reducing stress levels, boosting mood and energy, reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases, and much more. So, drinking tea must be a part of your daily routine. Apart from traditional brewing methods, there are several other methods of brewing tea. One of the modern ways of brewing tea is the cold brewing method. This method is gaining significant importance as it has made drinking tea easier, quicker, and much more enjoyable. People love the cold brewing method because it is super easy to implement, does not require much effort, and produces delicious and incredibly tasty end products. Let's discuss what the cold brewing method actually is?
What is Cold Brewing?
The cold brewing method is a way of making tea using tea leaves, a pitcher, and a refrigerator. This method is quite indifferent to your traditional glass of iced tea. The best thing about the cold brewing method is that; it's lighter, requires minimal effort, and doesn't require any sugar.
Differences between cold brew and ice
Traditional iced tea is made by brewing hot water and then diluting it with more water and ice. As hot water gives a stronger and bitter taste, sugar is necessarily added to iced tea to improve its taste. On the contrary, cold brewing never offers a bitter infusion. It produces a refreshing and gentle drink that can best be enjoyed throughout the day. You will not experience any bitterness while drinking cold-brewed teas. What makes the cold brewing method best is that you can comfortably control the flavor by steeping the leaves for a few or more hours.
Which Teas are best for Cold Brewing?
Precisely speaking, you can use almost all types of teas for cold brewing; however, a few of them require more time to deliver the best flavor. For example, Chinese sencha is among the best cold brewing options, while dark pu’erh is rarely cold brewed. The following table will help you understand how long you should brew different teas to get an optimum taste.
Tea Type Minimum Brewing Time
Green Tea 3 hours
White Tea 4 hours
Oolong and Black Tea 5-6 hours
Herbal Teas 8-12 hours
Fruit teas 12+ hours
Another rule you need to remember while brewing teas is that broken teas will release flavor much faster than unbroken leaves. However, tightly rolled oolongs might need more time as compared to oolongs with twisted leaves.
Cold Brew White Tea
White tea is a type of tea with the least processed leaves and a rich nutrient profile. It has very few subtypes and brewing them is super easy. No matter which tea type you choose, white tea always offers a fresh, refreshing, and enjoyable taste when cold brewed. Pai Mu Tan is amongst the best white teas for cold brewing.
How to Cold Brew White Tea?
Adopt the following procedure to cold brew white tea. 1. Take a pitcher or a glass teapot and add 1-2 spoons of tea leaves in it. 2. Now add lukewarm or cold water in the pitcher (4-6 cups of water for 2-3 spoons of tea leaves). 3. Cover the pitcher with a lid to protect from odors. 4. Place the prepared tea in the fridge for about 4-5 hours. 5. Drink cold brewed white tea within 24 hours.
Cold Brew White Tea Flavor Profile
Cold-brew white tea won't offer a bitter taste if brewed correctly. The tea should never taste moldy, with severe straw notes or unpleasant. However, loose teas will offer a completely different flavor than white tea bags. The color of freshly brewed teas will range from translucent to yellowish.
Cold Brew Green Tea
Green tea is one of the best types of teas for cold brewing. A refreshing cup of floral green tea cools you down and energizes you on a muggy afternoon. Brewing green tea is incredibly easy because green tea leaves are delicate and require exact temperature (176 to 180 degrees F) for correct brewing.
How to Cold Brew Green Tea?
Adopt the following procedure to cold brew green tea. 1. Take 2 tbsp. of green tea leaves and put them in a cold brew maker. Add 1 liter of water into it. 2. Allow this mixture to steep in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours 3. Take out the pitcher and discard the tea leaves from it. Serve without ice. 4. You can store the remaining tea in the refrigerator and use it within 2-3 days.
Cold Brew Green Tea Flavor Profile
Cold brewing green tea produces less caffeine and bitterness compared to traditionally brewed green tea. Hence, you consume a tea that is not bitter at all. Brewing cold green tea produces a richer and sweeter flavor.
Cold Brew Black Tea
There is nothing more refreshing than a freshly brewed cup of cold brew black tea. Cold-brew black tea is super easy to make from the comfort of your home. It is light, delicious, and a perfect way to refresh yourself after a long hectic day at work.
How to Cold Brew Black Tea?
Adopt the following procedure to cold brew black tea. 1. Take a large pitcher and place tea bags at the bottom of it. Pour cold or room temperature water in it. 2. Cover the pitcher and put it in a refrigerator. 3. Steep for about 8-10 hours. 4. Take the pitcher out and discard the tea bags. 5. Serve the tea over ice with fresh lemon slices. You can also add a sweetener of your choice.
Cold Brew Black Tea Flavor Profile
Cold-brew black tea contains less caffeine than a usual cup of black tea. Hence, the cold-brewed tea is lighter, sweeter, and more refreshing than a traditional cup of black tea. The reason is that a hot infusion releases tannins which leads to bitterness. On the contrary, a cold infusion creates a sweeter and refreshing flavor.
Cold Brew Herbal Tea
Although you can cold brew all herbal teas; however, zesty, minty, and refreshing herbal blends are ideal for cold brewing. Most herbal teas need additional brewing time to offer the best flavor. Herbal tea cold brewing blends are the perfect beverage to calm down during the evening. These teas offer a smooth blend and a remarkably tasty flavor.
Cold Brew Oolong Tea
Cold-brew oolong tea contains lesser caffeine content than regular oolong tea. Hence, it is a perfect beverage to kick start your day without the harsh kick of caffeine. Oolong tea mostly offers a smooth lemon zest flavor along with fresh notes of basil.
At Tuk Tea Company we offer a selection of loose-leaf teas. Discover the refreshing flavors and the simplicity of cold brewing.
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