Company's Coming Cold Brew Iced Tea is something I've recently enjoyed having in the fridge to treat my guests to when they stop by - it's a refreshing, simple way to show hospitality!

I recently checked out Reese Witherspoon's book, Whiskey In a Teacup, from my local library as a "just for fun" summer read. In the book, Reese shares some charming, often funny, stories from her Southern upbringing that are tied to cherished family recipes. I particularly enjoyed all of the recipes she uses for entertaining and making guests feel welcome. Having also been raised in the South, I am no stranger to the unique and often unparalleled Southern hospitality exemplified by my grandmothers, sweet ladies from church, and neighborhood friends. Southern ladies really have a knack for making their guests feel welcomed and pampered!

One of the recipes Reese shared that really stood out to me was the iced tea her grandmother made. She would let a pitcher of water and tea bags sit on the counter under the rays of sunshine coming from a nearby window, which would "brew" the tea over the course of the day. She always had a pitcher of iced tea on hand for anyone who would drop by, and it was an easy way to show hospitality. I decided this tradition was something I wanted to adopt for myself, so I started making my own batches of cold brew iced tea!

Ingredients for Cold Brew Iced Tea

Filtered water - I like to use filtered water for all of my cold beverages to ensure that they have a nice clean flavor.
Single-serving tea bags - for iced tea, I will typically use single-serving black tea bags. Lately, I've been buying decaffeinated black tea; simply because I and many of my guests like to enjoy a glass in the evenings and I don't want to run the risk of it keeping anyone up at night! I like to use one tea bag per 8 ounces/1 cup of water. Of course, you can use this ratio for any type of tea bag or flavored tea that you would like to use. I have a ginger peach green tea that I also like to use this recipe and brewing method for as well!

How to Make Cold Brew Iced Tea

There really isn't much to making this recipe - which is what makes it so nice! It really couldn't be easier to always have some on hand. All this recipe requires is stirring some tea bags into a pitcher of cold water, letting it steep in your refrigerator overnight (or for 8-10 hours), and then remove the tea bags before serving! This cold brew method produces a smoother tea, as hot water can often make the tannins in the tea taste somewhat bitter. I love making tea this way, especially because I can make it right inside my favorite glass pitcher without worrying about hot water causing the glass to crack.

Once my tea is done steeping, it's already cold and ready to serve! I serve the tea alongside a batch of my homemade Fresh Mint Simple Syrup so that whoever I serve the tea to can sweeten it according to their taste preferences. And voila! There you have it - Southern hospitality in a cold glass of iced tea!

Are you ready to make this Cold Brew Iced Tea? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!

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