Summer is coming! Cold brew these five amazing teas for a natural and refreshing iced tea that doesn’t need sugar to taste good.

New to cold brewing? Get started with these simple step-by-step instructions >>

1. Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid)

Hands down, our most captivating iced tea. The honeyed and floral flavor notes of this oolong tea are totally natural, developed and refined by generations of farmers through selective breeding and skilled craftsmanship. Though this tea’s intense flavor can become astringent in a boiling brew, steeping in cold water ensures natural sweetness without sacrificing strength.

Since this is one of our favorite teas to brew cold, we’ve pre-packed some large tea bags especially for making iced tea. Make 2 liters of iced tea with each bag by steeping in cold water. Feel free to taste as you go to adjust the brew to your own preferences.

2. Golden Monkey, First Pick

With rich flavor and distinctive notes of cocoa and malt, this black tea is one of our most popular iced tea options. The spring leaves used for this tea are loaded with natural sugars and carbohydrates, while levels of astringent tannins are low, meaning this cold brewed tea will never require milk or sugar to taste amazing.

As another cold-brewing favorite of ours, this tea also comes in conveniently pre-packed iced tea bags. Extend your steeping time for a concentrated brew to pour over ice, or freeze a batch into ice cubes to double up on flavor.

3. Jin Xuan

The bright, floral, and slightly fruity flavor notes in this popular Taiwanese oolong tea taste just as good cold as they do hot. Whether you’re a regular drinker of Formosa oolong teas, or new to this trending style, a cold brew can reveal subtleties and nuances of flavor that make a fascinating contrast to a traditional hot infusion.

It is easy to gauge the strength of this tea as it brews, based on the expansion of the tightly rolled leaves. Stop steeping early for subtle floral flavor notes, or let those leaves get fully open for a rich brew with more tropical fruit tones.

4. Shou Mei

This everyday white tea is gentle yet full bodied, with bold flavor but no bitter bite. The minimal steps used in white tea processing leave this tea’s flavor fresh and fruity, while also retaining the maximum amount of antioxidant polyphenols.

Though this tea is wonderful on it’s own, it also makes a great base flavor for alternative concoctions like tea cocktails. Make sure to use plenty of leaf for a strong flavor that won’t get lost in the mix! To be precise, weigh out your dry leaves, since this tea is quite voluminous. We usually use about 10 grams of leaves in a 2 liter pitcher.

5. Formosa Red Assam, Mi Xiang

This unique black tea combines the bold, rich flavor of a traditional Assam variety with a unique honeyed fragrance for a totally natural taste that is akin to a classic milk tea. Perfectly versatile for brewing hot or cold without any hint of bitterness or astringency, thanks to slow growth and careful crafting.

This tea is simple and incredibly forgiving to brew, so feel free to experiment with your technique! Speed up your steep by leaving the pitcher at room temperature instead of putting it in the fridge, or jump start the brew with a small amount of hot water before filling the pitcher with cold water.

These are a few of our favorite selections to make into iced tea, but you can brew any tea cold! Let us know what tea you love to cold brew in the comments below!

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