How to Make the Perfect Cold Infusion

At first I had a low opinion of iced tea. I’d tried it countless times and been consistently unimpressed. The flavour seemed to be much more about sugar and flavourings than the tea itself. That is because iced tea has typically been made with cheap and bitter black tea in boiling water, chilled and heavily sweetened. We realised it was time to do things differently."

Our first revolutionary step was to use good tea.

Next, we changed the method and began Cold Infusion.

This is the method for making iced tea that we teach the many illustrious restaurants we now work with around the world, where iced tea is offered as an alternative to wine.

Why cold?

Gentle extraction...

Making Cold Infused Tea

The only thing you need is a little patience.

Just water & tea...

Simply measure the dry leaf and cold filtered water - combine in a clean, sealed vessel and pop it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

You do not have to worry about over steeping – after about 8 hours the tea will have reached equilibrium in the water.  (The one exception is our rolled oolongs - it might take up to 48 hours for the water to fully penetrate the leaves and draw out all the flavour).

Quantities

Whole Leaf Teas

For most whole leaf teas you need roughly 6g of leaf per litre.

Oolongs

For rolled oolongs you'll need about 6 to 10g per litre.

Broken Black Teas

For broken black teas you may need more leaf: 10 to 15g per litre of water.

Every tea is different and unique. Please experiment until you have achieved the exact flavour profile that YOU like.

STRAIN & SERVE

What about herbal infusions?

Our herbs and flowers are best made hot and then chilled; because they do not have the delicate cell structure of tea, or bitter properties, you don’t have to worry about them over-extracting in boiling water.

(With the one exception of chamomile - treat like a green tea and infuse at 70°C/158°F.)

Cold Herbal Infusions

Pour boiling water – in the same quantities you would make a hot tea - and then leave to chill. Strain and refrigerate once cold.  It should be flavour stable for 3-4 days.

(If you do want to add something to the more savoury South African Wild Rooibos we recommend a flake of sea salt and a drop or two of maple syrup.)

Lastly, please have fun experimenting - and if you have any questions please contact us.  We'd be happy to help with any questions you might have.