Cold brewing is one of those things that sounds more complicated than it is. You add your tea, you add your liquid, you leave it in the fridge, and several hours later you have something delicious. That's really the whole process - and once you've got the basics down, there are endless cold brew recipes to play around with depending on what you're in the mood for. Knowing what to make - which tea with which liquid, how to serve it, what to add, is where things get exciting. Here are six cold brew tea recipes we keep coming back to, from the ones that live permanently in our kitchen fridge to the ones we break out for hosting.
Not done a cold brew before? Our complete cold brew guide covers everything you need before you start. And if you want to know which of our blends works best cold, see the best teas for cold brewing.
The Basics: What You Need For Every Recipe
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of loose leaf tea
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750ml of your chosen liquid
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A Cold Brew Tea Bottle or jug with a fine mesh strainer
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Ice for serving
Add your tea, fill with your liquid, seal, & refrigerate. That's the method for every recipe below - only the tea, liquid, and serving details change.
Recipe 1: MojiTEA Cold Brew
Our most iconic cold brew. Inspired by the classic mojito, this one is zesty, minty, & completely irresistible. Brilliant on its own, even better with a splash of rum.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of Mojito Tea
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750ml sparkling water
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Ice, fresh lime wedges, fresh mint to serve
Method: Add Mojito Tea to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with sparkling water, refrigerate for 4–6 hours or overnight. Pour over ice, garnish with lime & mint.
Want to make it a cocktail? Add a shot of white rum when serving.
Steeping time: 4–6 hours
Recipe 2: Strawberry Lemonade Cold Brew
The one we sell most at our stores & it’s the one we recommend to almost everyone trying cold brew for the first time.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of Strawberry Lemonade Tea
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750ml lemonade (still or sparkling)
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Ice, fresh strawberries & lemon slices to serve
Method: Add tea to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with lemonade, refrigerate for 4–8 hours or overnight. Pour over ice, garnish with fresh strawberries & lemon.
Tip: If using sparkling lemonade, you might want to let a little pressure out of the bottle lid every few hours.
Steeping time: 4–8 hours or overnight
Recipe 3: Chocolate Digestives Oat Milk Cold Brew
Rich, biscuity, and deeply indulgent, it tastes like a fancy iced latte but there's no added sugar & barely any effort involved.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of Chocolate Digestives Tea
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750ml oat milk (barista-style if you have it)
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Ice to serve
Method: Add tea to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with oat milk, refrigerate overnight (8–10 hours). Pour over ice. A drizzle of agave or maple syrup when serving takes this from brilliant to exceptional.
Steeping time: Overnight (8–10 hours)
Recipe 4: Sticky Chai Coconut Cold Brew
The cold version of our famous Sticky Chai, it’s spiced, creamy, & stunning over ice. One of the most impressive things you can serve at a summer gathering without anyone realising how little effort went into it.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of Sticky Chai
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750ml coconut milk
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Ice, a pinch of cinnamon to serve
Method: Add the sticky chai to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with coconut milk, refrigerate for 4–6 hours. Pour over ice, dust with a pinch of cinnamon. A drizzle of agave syrup ties everything together beautifully.
Steeping time: 4–6 hours
Recipe 5: Cherry Cola Bottles Cold Brew
A proper homemade cherryade - fruity, slightly sweet, & absolutely brilliant over ice.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of Cherry Cola Bottles Tea
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750ml lemonade or sparkling water
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Ice, fresh cherries to garnish
Method: Add tea to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with lemonade or sparkling water, refrigerate for 4–8 hours or overnight. Pour over ice, garnish with fresh cherries.
Steeping time: 4–8 hours or overnight
Recipe 6: Fruit Tea Gin Cold Brew
A recipe that shouldn't work as well as it does. Any fruit tea cold brewed in gin produces an effortlessly impressive drink for hosting, no cocktail-making skills required.
You'll need:
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5–6 heaped teaspoons of your chosen fruit tea (Strawberry Lemonade Tea, or Peach Soda Tea, both work brilliantly)
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750ml gin (light, neutral gin works best)
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Sparkling water for diluting, ice, fresh fruit or herbs to garnish
Method: Add tea to your Cold Brew Tea Bottle, fill with gin, refrigerate for 4–6 hours. Strain into a jug and refrigerate until serving. When serving, pour over ice and dilute to taste with sparkling water. Garnish generously.
Tip: Pre-mix a pitcher of diluted cold brew gin for a party and let guests serve themselves.
Steeping time: 4–6 hours
Shop the cold brew tea collection
Tag us in your cold brew creations @birdandblendtea - we absolutely love seeing what you make. Happy brewing, Teabirds.
