How to Make Cold Brew Tea

Your iced tea just got a major upgrade. Cold Brew Tea is about to be your drink of summer.
How to Make Cold Brew Tea - Mosi Tea

These days, cold brew coffee is all the rage. Known for its smooth, rich flavor and extra kick of caffeination, cold brew coffee has rightfully earned its claim as you go-to bev of the summer. But its lesser-known counterpart, cold brew tea, may just beat it out this year -- and we want you to be the first to know all about it when it's the next big thing.

Cold brew tea is tea that has been steeped without the application of heat, changing up the flavor and composition of the beverage. We're confident that the cold brew technique can turn any tea skeptic into a fan, and we'll take you through our favorite ways to enjoy it.

 

 

What is Cold Brewing?

Cold brewing has been practiced for centuries now. The practice first originated in Kyoto, Japan. The cold brew tea technique was initially only used to make coffee without using fire or other dangerous heat sources. But in the 1600s, the Japanese discovered that cold brewing was able to produce a smoother and sweeter flavor of tea; when brewing tea using heat, tea leaves can be burnt, eliminating some of their flavor and health benefits. Thus, cold brewing became a well-known and well-loved practice as time passed, even outside of Japan.

Cold brewing essentially works by steeping tea without a heat source. Where heat extracts flavor from a typical brew of tea, time is the ingredient that extracts flavor in the cold brew process.

While it does take a long time to steep, the robust flavor and quality of the resulting cold brew tea makes it well worth the wait.

 

 

Cup of cold brew tea

Why Cold Brewing Makes the Best Tea

Cold brewing is one of the best ways to make tea because the leaves are able to retain their flavor and health benefits. Like the Japanese believed in the 1600s, subjecting the tea leaves to hot brewing methods can strip them of their flavor. Since cold brew only requires you to place the leaves in cool water and store them in the fridge, the original flavor of tea steeps naturally in the water. This results in a rich, smooth flavor that you won’t be able to find in standard tea.

 

 

The Difference Between Iced Tea and Cold Brew

While both iced tea and cold brew tea may sound similar, they actually differ in process, quality and flavor.

As mentioned above, cold brew tea is made by leaving tea leaves inside either room temperature or cold water for a prolonged period of time. Iced tea, on the other hand, is brewed in hot water, cooled down, and served with ice later on. This can result in a watered down version of your tea. With cold brewing, you can use the same amount of tea you would typically use for a iced tea without having to worry about it being watered down by ice later on.

Another difference between cold brew tea and iced tea is that cold brew tea will never brew bitter. If you choose to steep your cold brew tea for 24 hours, it will still brew a perfectly smooth cup of tea. Iced tea, on the other hand, still relies on an initial hot brewing method. This runs the risk over over-brewing and churning out a bitter result, which may only taste more bitter when served as iced tea.

 

 

The Benefits of Cold Brewing Tea

There are several benefits to making and drinking cold brew tea.

  • Saves time: We know this may be confusing, since we’ve mentioned that cold brewed tea takes hours to make; however, if you look at the bigger picture, the overnight process is more convenient if you’re rushing in the mornings. If you’re running late, hot brewing tea is very inconvenient; you need to wait for water to boil and the tea to steep.

If you cold brew your tea the night before, it’ll be ready and waiting for you in the morning. When using a Mosi tea infuser, you can grab it straight from the fridge and take it on-the-go.

  • Supports cardiovascular health: Did you know that drinking cold brew tea could support your heart? A study by the New York Times reports that those who regularly drink cold brew tea are 21% less likely to have a stroke.
  • Tastes good on its own: Tea is undeniably one of the healthiest drinks. With other forms of brewing, the tea may turn out bitter or dull, which encourages drinkers to add sugar or other sweeteners. Cold brew tea retains its original sweetness, so many tea drinkers are able to enjoy it without any additional flavorings.
  • Contains less caffeine: Teas are a great substitute to coffee in general because most of the time, they contain less caffeine. However, if your body is sensitive to caffeine, then you can lower your caffeine consumption in tea by drinking cold brew tea. This is because the cold brewing process extracts less caffeine from the tea leaves, keeping the caffeine content in cold brew tea at a minimum.
  • Boosts your immune system: Cold brew tea retains more vitamin C than hot brewed tea or iced tea. This is because hot brewing tea strips the tea leaves of their natural nutrition and health benefits. With cold brewing, you’re able to retain its high levels of Vitamin C content. This means that drinking cold brew tea frequently gives you an added boost of Vitamin C to help your immune system work its best.

 

 

The Best Types of Tea for Cold Brew

While you can use any tea with the cold brewing method, certain types of tea will especially shine through when brewed cold.

  • Morning Black Tea: Its soft, honey-like flavor is guaranteed to shine through with the cold brew method, letting tea drinkers enjoy its naturally sweet flavor without any additives or sweeteners.
  • Orange Spice Tea: This tea offers a unique and earthy taste, with hints of citrus and spice. Its fruity, floral flavor is guaranteed to stand out once it’s used to make a refreshing glass of cold brew tea.
  • Rose Black Tea: This is one of the most unique but flavorful teas in our selection. It’s a great option for cold brew tea, offering an woody black tea flavor with a strong floral sweetness to match.
  • Everest Oolong: This tea has a unique You will be able to note the undeniable tastes of grape and tannins once it's brewed, which adds to its charm.
  • Green Mint: The bright notes of spearmint, peppermint, and lemongrass are emphasized with an added touch of sweetness when brewed cold.

Loose leaf teas are the best option if you’re looking to make cold brewed tea. You can also use teabags, but they won’t offer the same quality of taste and nutrients as drinking a cup of tea made with loose tea leaves.

This is because loose leaf tea offer the largest surface area of tea leaf for the water to interact with. When you're using tea bags, the tea is often ground up to fit into the tea bag. This results in a lower quality, less flavorful tea as there leaves have a smaller surface area that interacts with the water than a whole, loose leaf tea.

Using loose leaf tea allows the drinker to get the best of its benefits, both in terms of its health advantages and taste. For the best-tasting and most nutritious tea, try making your next cup by cold brewing loose tea! Mosi's loose leaf teas are all hand-picked and incredibly high quality to brew the perfect cold brew cup.

 

 

Equipment Needed to Make Cold Brew Tea

You won’t need much equipment for cold brew tea. After all, its charm lies in its simplicity. The tools you’ll need to make cold brew tea can easily be found in your home or local supermarket. To make cold brew tea, you will need the following ingredients and equipment:

  • Tea bags or loose leaf teas (the latter is preferred; we’ll explain why in a bit.)
  • Water
  • Strainer or infuser
  • Glass or jar with a lid or Mosi's portable tea infuser

 

 

Cup of cold brew tea

How to Make Cold Brew Tea

Now that you know what it is and what makes it special, it’s time to learn how to make cold brew tea. Prepare the items we mentioned above and head over to your kitchen; here’s what you need to do.

  1. Drop 2 teaspoons of loose-leaf leaves or your teabag into one cup of water. Your water can either be cold or room temperature; just make sure that it isn’t hot.
  2. Cover the glass. It’s best to use glasses that already have a lid, like jars or water bottles.
  3. Place the glass inside the fridge. The amount of time needed for the tea to brew completely depends on what kind of tea leaves you’re using. However, it’s recommended that you leave the tea inside the fridge for at least 10 hours or overnight to get the best results.
  4. Once the tea is finished brewing, take out your strainer and strain out the tea leaves. If you use bags of tea, simply take the teabag out and set it aside.
  5. Enjoy! Now that you’ve got your cold brewed tea, you can drink it as it is or add a personal touch. Look up recipes or create your own. Get creative and feel free to experiment with your cold brewed tea!

 

 

Mosi Tea Infuser

Making Tea With Mosi’s Cold Brew Infuser

Cold brew tea is already incredibly simple to make, but what if we told you that you could make it easier and more convenient? Here’s how you can use Mosi’s cold brew infuser.

  1. Fill your Cold Brew sieve attachment of your Mosi cold brew infuser with your loose leaf tea of choice.
  2. Pour room temperature water into the spout of your infuser.
  3. Attach the lid, switch up the lock, and store the cold brew infuser upside down in the fridge overnight.
  4. Take out and enjoy! No need to strain. Mosi Tea’s cold brew infuser automatically strains the tea with its cutting-edge design -- and will keep your bev cold for hours.

 

 

Cold Brew Recipes to Try

Chai Tea Cold Brew

  1. Prepare Mosi's Masala Chai using the cold brewing method.
  2. Once the tea has been brewed, take it out of the fridge and strain the leaves (no need if you're using Mosi's infuser!)
  3. Mix the chai tea with milk, cream, and coffee. Feel free to add any additional ingredients, like cinnamon, to taste.
  4. Serve and enjoy! You can also shake it up inside a mason jar with some ice, but it’s just as delicious as is.

 

Earl Grey Iced Latte

  1. Prepare Mosi's Earl Grey tea using the cold brew technique above.
  2. Once the tea has been brewed overnight or after a few hours, take it out of the fridge and strain the leaves out (no need if you're using Mosi's infuser!)
  3. Fill half of your drinking glass with concentrate before filling the other half with your milk of choice.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

 

Peach Rooibos Lavender Cold Brew Tea

  1. Prepare Mosi's Rooibos Lavender using the cold brew tea method above.
  2. Once the tea has been brewed overnight or after a few hours, take it out of the fridge and strain the leaves out (no need if you're using Mosi's infuser!)
  3. Add 1 tbsp of honey and 2 slices of fresh peach into a glass or your Mosi infuser.
  4. Stir, serve and enjoy!

 

 

Mosi Tea Infuser

Conclusion

Making cold brew tea at home is easy and a delicious alternative to iced or hot tea. Check out Mosi's tea line for a variety of loose leaf teas that make great cold brews. If you want to add a convenient twist, try using Mosi's cold brew infuser for on-the-go cold brew tea!

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