Picture: Starbucks Black Shaken Iced Tea. More info at Starbucks’ Website.
Subtle. Suave. Sophisticated. Our premium black tea gets a snappy little splash of citrus, and then is shaken – not stirred – with ice. We’d tell you more, but the details must remain classified. Still, you do have license to enjoy.
— Tazo® Black Shaken Iced Tea, Starbucks.com
Bitch, please. Classified? Ha! Iced tea isn’t hard…
Why the hell am I blogging about this? Because I see a lot of fools trying to make tea, and they all suck at it. It’s not hard, but there is a way to do it right to get the crystal-clear, refreshing tea you’re used to seeing/drinking at Starbucks or McAllister’s.
Black Iced Tea, Proper
- Boil 1 liter of water.
- Cover 4 cup-sized black tea bags (Lipton will do just fine; Starbucks uses Tazo Awake tea, FYI) with 1 liter of boiling water.
- Steep for four minutes.
- If you love sweet tea, add 2 cups of sugar to the liter of strongly-brewed tea and stir until dissolved appropriately.* (note: this is how McAllister’s Sweet Tea is made)
- Add 1 liter of cold water. Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration causes tea to go cloudy. Cloudy iced tea is bad tea.
- Pour a glass as follows
- Add equal parts tea and water
- Add ice
- Shake or stir
- Drink that tea.
I prefer 1/3 tea, water, and ice. Adjust to suit your tastes.
EXCITING FISCAL NOTE: this is roughly 12 cents per pitcher and pennies per serving, even if you buy Tazo Brand tea from Starbucks.
* Never assume that everyone likes black iced tea. Sweeten your own tea with sugar or simple syrup.