Cold brew tea seems like the answer to everything lately.
Need a refreshing summer drink? Cold brew.
Need a no-stress comfort beverage after a hard day? Cold brew.
Need something fun to share with friends at this weekend’s block party? COLD BREW.
Of course, a cool glass of tea is irresistible on a hot summer day. But cold brew is more than just a thirst quencher! We love cold brew because it is practical, party-friendly, and an opportunity to discover new sides of a familiar tea! In honor of Cold Brew Season, we wanted to write a little bit about the benefits of cold brewing tea, and share a couple of our favorite cold brew recipes.
Onward to refreshment!
The Benefits of Cold Brew Tea
We love gong fu cha (and if you’re reading this, you probably do, too). But—as the name suggests—it takes a lot of time, effort, skill, and attention to brew well. Sometimes it’s nice to have tea that doesn’t require so much set up or brain power. Enter: cold brew tea. Making cold brew is simple; you set it and forget it (stay posted for the full recipe below).
It’s a great way to have delicious tea on hand, at any moment, that you don’t have to work hard to prep. When you’re coming home from work on a hot afternoon in the middle of June, exhausted and brain-fried, cold brew is your best friend.
Cold Brewed tea is an excellent party favor, whether you’re the host or a guest! It can be tough to brew hot tea for friends in a party environment, especially at someone else’s place (because, again: hot tea = time, effort, attention…and lugging around a kettle and fragile brewing materials). Cold brew tea, however, is a wonderful low-maintenance companion—make it in advance, and then enjoy. It’s also a great way to brew tea for a crowd! One of our 4-8 gram packets yields a ~700 ml brew, perfect for sharing. Throw some in a wine glass at your next summer get-together to see just how fun (and portable!) it is.
Make no mistake—cold brew tea is not just for parties and stress-relief. It’s also a great way for tea connoisseurs to experience a new side of tea! Because you’re brewing with different temperature water, cold brew extracts a different flavor profile than hot water. Cold brew is typically sweeter and brighter, and emphasizes the most pleasant notes of a tea. This makes it a great way to get to know a familiar tea in a new way. If you feel like you’ve had your favorite teas one too many times—OR if you feel that you know a certain tea like the back of your hand—try cold brewing it to taste it in a new light!
Two Cold Brew Recipes
To help you enjoy your cold brew to its fullest potential, we want to share our favorite ways to cold brew. Both of these are our founder & CEO Shunan’s personal cold brew recipes! Both are great, depending on how much time you have. The first method will give you a slightly more complex, nuanced brew, while the second will give you a sweeter, lighter tea. We hope you’ll try both!
TIP: For both methods, if you (somehow) don’t plan to enjoy all of your tea the day it’s done brewing (day 2 for the one-day method, day 3 for the 2-day method), strain and discard leaves to maintain your brew’s freshness.
‘Tis the season, and we couldn’t help ourselves. We’re launching a Cold Brew Tea Sampler, to give you a taste of the depth and range that high-end cold brew tea has to offer! We included five teas in the sampler, all of which translate very well to cold brewing, each for a different reason.
The Teas in our Cold Brew Sampler
Chi Gan
Yang Zhuang, Wu Yi Shan
Spring 2022
Red Tea
Red teas are a classic when it comes to cold-brewing in the US, but don’t expect our Chi Gan to be anything like iced Lipton! When brewed hot, this Chi Gan is floral and sweet. When cold-brewed, it takes on an even brighter, sweeter, fruitier quality. We think it tastes like fruit punch!
Gua Pian
Qi Shan, Lu An
Early Spring 2019
Green Tea
A naturally grassy and aromatic tea, Gua Pian is a great fit for cold brewing. Green tea is naturally the freshest kind of tea, and for this reason green teas taste especially great as iced teas. Brewed cold, our Gua Pian is buttery and umami with a touch of nuttiness. The cold extraction lowers astringency level and the umami becomes more prominent. Most of all, it is a light, freshening break in the day.
Bai Ye
Feng Xi, Feng Huang
Spring 2023
Dan Cong Wu Long
One of our most popular teas, a total crowd-pleaser for a reason! The cooler version is no exception; our Bai Ye makes a dreamy cold brew. We think it tastes like an aromatic Riesling or a refreshing rose. Its classic peachy note becomes even more pronounced and aromatic, and its tannic are delightfully bubbly.
You Le Long Pa
Long Pa, You Le Shan
Spring 2022
Pu Er Sheng Cha
Tannic teas lend themselves especially well to cold brewing, and Long Pa is no exception. Often in cold brew, it’s the tightening tannic quality of a tea that produces the sensation of thirst-quenching. Our Long Pa is beautifully flowery, vibrant, and crisp, With pleasant tannins, umami, and notes of elote corn.
Bai Mu Dan
Dian Tou, Fu Ding
Mid Spring 2022
White Tea
A mellow and exuberant white tea with outspoken floral aroma. Its viscid texture, golden color, and long-lasting sweet finish remind us of honey. With all its natural notes, cold-brewed Bai Mu Dan will transport you to a field filled with wildflowers basking in the sun.