The guide to homemade iced tea: cold brew and express method

By the LBDT Sommelier · published on August 15, 2026 · 4 min read

Reviewed and approved by the La Boutique du Thé team

When summer sets in, homemade iced tea is a fine replacement for industrial drinks, which are often very sweet. Two simple methods are enough: cold brewing, which gives a smooth liquor with no bitterness, and hot brewing cooled over ice, which is quicker. Official Mariage Frères stockist since 1999 in Bordeaux and Nice, we share our tea house techniques here: precise measures, steeping times, the teas best suited and serving in a carafe.

How do you make homemade iced tea?

An iced tea worthy of the name begins like a hot tea: with fine leaves and quality water. Two paths lead to the carafe. Cold infusion, also called cold brew, involves letting the leaves open slowly in cool water, in the refrigerator. The hot method, quicker, relies on a concentrated infusion that is immediately cooled over ice cubes.

Making your own iced tea has a decisive advantage over industrial drinks: you control the choice of tea, the measure, the steeping time and above all the amount of sugar, which can drop to zero without any loss of indulgence.

Cold brew: the gentle method

This is the method we recommend first. Allow 10 to 12 grams of tea per litre of cool water, or four to five heaped teaspoons. Pour the water over the leaves in a carafe or bottle, cover, then leave to rest for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator: overnight is perfect. Strain, then serve well chilled.

Cold extracts the aromas very slowly and holds back the tannins responsible for bitterness and astringency. The resulting liquor is rounded, clear, naturally smooth and lower in caffeine than a classic infusion. It is also a very forgiving method: a few extra hours in the refrigerator will not spoil your preparation.

The hot method cooled over ice, for those in a hurry

For iced tea ready in a few minutes, double your usual measure, about 4 grams per 200 ml, and steep at the water temperature recommended for your tea: 60 to 70°C for a Japanese green tea, 70 to 80°C for a Chinese green tea, 90 to 95°C for a black tea. Keep to the usual steeping time, then pour the liquor straight over a generous quantity of ice cubes. Instant cooling preserves the clarity of the aromas, and the melting ice brings the liquor back to the right strength.

This method gives a livelier, slightly more tannic iced tea than cold brewing. It suits black teas and flavoured blends whose full character you wish to keep.

Which teas make the best iced tea?

Green teas come first: a Japanese sencha gives a vegetal, thirst-quenching liquor, ideal in a carafe. White teas offer delicate infusions with subtle notes that become even more elegant when cold. Oolongs, between freshness and roundness, reveal scents of flowers and ripe fruit when brewed cold.

Flavoured teas are summer's great allies: fruity blends and citrus notes express themselves fully in a well-chilled carafe, and a classic such as Mariage Frères' Marco Polo makes a remarkable iced tea. Finally, carcadets, naturally caffeine-free fruit and hibiscus infusions, give colourful, tangy drinks the whole family can enjoy at any time of day.

Iced tea without sugar or syrup: is it possible?

The sugar in industrial iced teas mainly serves to mask the bitterness of carelessly made infusions. With a well-measured cold brew, the problem disappears: the liquor is naturally smooth. Flavoured teas do the rest, their notes of fruit, flowers or citrus giving a sense of indulgence without a single gram of added sugar.

If you wish to enrich the carafe, choose fresh ingredients over syrup: a few slices of peach, mint leaves, a slice of lemon or orange. The hibiscus in carcadets brings a bright acidity reminiscent of lemonade.

The carafe, serving, and Mariage Frères' summer iced teas

Serve iced tea in a clear carafe, strained and well chilled, and add ice cubes only when serving so as not to dilute the liquor. A carafe with a built-in filter makes everyday cold brewing simple. Allow about one litre for four to six glasses.

Every summer, Mariage Frères creates its French Summer Tea collection: teas presented in black flasks, designed for iced tea and cold brewing. We offer them in our Bordeaux and Nice shops as well as online, alongside loose leaf teas for creating your own carafes: Sweet Shanghai, a green tea, and Bolero, a black tea, are renowned for their success as cold brews, both loose leaf and in cotton muslin tea sachets.

The sommelier's selection

ICED TEAS

Citrus · Floral

Iced tea · 160 g

CHF 54.10

CHF 338.13/kg

GREEN TEA

Floral · Woody · Spiced

CHF 16.80

CHF 168.00/kg

BLACK TEA

Fruity

CHF 14.40

CHF 144.00/kg

Frequently asked questions

How long does homemade iced tea keep?

Once strained, homemade iced tea keeps for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator in a closed carafe or bottle. Beyond that, the drink is still safe to consume but its aromas fade noticeably. So prepare quantities you will drink within two days.

Does cold-brewed iced tea contain less caffeine?

Yes. Cold water extracts caffeine much more slowly than hot water, so a cold infusion gives a drink lower in caffeine than a conventionally steeped tea. It is therefore well suited to the afternoon, and hibiscus infusions, naturally caffeine-free, lend themselves to evening carafes.

Can iced tea be made with tea bags or cotton muslin tea sachets?

Absolutely. For a cold infusion, allow five to six cotton muslin tea sachets per litre of water, the equivalent of the 10 to 12 grams recommended for loose leaf, and leave to steep for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Loose leaf remains preferable for large leaves, which need room to unfurl.

What water should I use for homemade iced tea?

Choose filtered or low-mineral water, as for hot tea. Water that is too hard clouds the liquor and hardens the tannins, which is even more noticeable in a drink served cold. With soft water, iced tea stays clear and its aromas crisp.

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