Learn • Bert’s Recipes

House Iced Tea — Brewed, Not Syrupy

This is our baseline iced tea: tea-first, not sugar-first. It’s the recipe we reach for on porch-weather afternoons, markets, and lazy fridge refills — simple enough for every day, dialable enough to feel a little bit special.

Difficulty: Easy Total time: ~20 minutes + chill Best with: Ceylon or classic black tea Style: Tea-forward, gently sweet
Pitcher and glass of house iced tea with lemon slices
Tea-forward iced tea that plays nicely with lemon, not syrup.

Ingredients

Two versions: a small home batch and a 1-gallon batch that matches how we brew for friends, markets, and delivery.

Home Pitcher (About 1 Quart)

  • 4 tea bags or 2 Tbsp (8 g) loose black tea (Ceylon or similar)
  • 2 cups (480 ml) just-off-boil water
  • 2 cups (480 ml) cold water
  • 2–4 Tbsp sugar or simple syrup, to taste (tea-forward is 2 Tbsp)
  • Ice for serving
  • Lemon slices (optional but recommended)

Market / Party Batch (About 1 Gallon)

  • 12 tea bags or 6 Tbsp (24 g) loose black tea
  • 2 quarts (1.9 L) just-off-boil water
  • 2 quarts (1.9 L) cold water
  • 1/2–3/4 cup sugar or simple syrup, to taste
  • Ice for chilling/serving
  • Lemon slices or citrus wheels for garnish
Tea choice: We like a clean Ceylon-style black tea for this (bright, not smoky). When our House Iced Tea blend is live, this is the exact recipe it’s built around.

Equipment

  • Heat-proof pitcher or large jar
  • Kettle or pot for boiling water
  • Fine strainer (if using loose leaf)
  • Refrigerator space for chilling

Step-by-Step

  1. Heat your water. Bring the hot water to a boil, then let it sit for about 30 seconds. You want near-boiling, not a rolling tantrum.
  2. Steep the tea strong. Add tea bags or loose tea to your heat-proof pitcher. Pour in the hot water, cover, and steep for 4–5 minutes. We lean toward 4 minutes for a cleaner, slightly lighter profile.
  3. Remove or strain the tea. Take out the bags or strain out the leaves so the tea doesn’t turn bitter as it sits.
  4. Sweeten while it’s warm. Stir in sugar or simple syrup while the tea is still warm so it dissolves easily. Start on the lower side (tea-forward) — you can always add more later.
  5. Top up with cold water. Add the cold water to bring the total volume up (1 quart or 1 gallon, depending on your batch). Give it a gentle stir.
  6. Chill and serve over ice. Let the tea cool slightly on the counter, then move it to the fridge until cold. Serve over ice with lemon slices and any extra tweaks you like.
Storage: Keep refrigerated and enjoy within 2–3 days for best flavor. If it tastes flat, brighten with a fresh squeeze of lemon instead of more sugar.

Easy Tweaks & Variations

  • Stronger tea: add 1 extra bag (or 1 tsp loose tea) per quart instead of steeping longer.
  • Sweeter style: bump sugar toward the higher end, but keep the tea noticeable.
  • Half & half: mix this iced tea 50/50 with lemonade for a porch-perfect citrus tea.
  • Herbal twist: swap in one bag of an herbal like chamomile or mint alongside the black tea.
  • Zero-proof “party glass”: serve in a nice glass with citrus wheels and a fun straw; it’s amazing how “special” that makes a simple drink feel.

Keep Sipping with Coo Coo’s Coffee

As we dial in our House Iced Tea blend and RTD offerings, this will stay the base recipe, with notes if we tweak things for markets, delivery, or special events.