Buzz
Although I spent the first part of my childhood in Mississippi and continued to visit nearly every year after we relocated to California, I never really developed a taste for sweet tea. My mom wasn’t fond of sugar—her drink of choice was water, occasionally Diet Coke—and my grandmother sweetened her tea with minuscule amounts of saccharin, often just a single grain, a habit I only ever saw in her kitchen.
But there are times when I crave the taste of real sweet tea, so I make a glass. I’m an adult now, and being ‘grown’ means I can satisfy these cravings whenever I please. Those cravings aren’t strong enough to warrant making an entire pitcher—just a glass is enough—but crafting a single serving isn’t as simple as tossing sugar into a glass of unsweetened iced tea. There are certain best practices to follow, so let’s walk through the process step-by-step.
Use water that’s just shy of boiling
Most black tea—the variety you should use for sweet tea—brews best at temperatures between 200℉ and 212℉ (just below boiling). While some high-end black teas are best brewed at lower temperatures, sweet tea isn't made with these refined teas. (Go for the budget-friendly option—you’ll be masking any subtle flavors with sugar anyway.)
If you have an electric kettle with precise temperature control, use it. For everyone else: Boil the water, then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 seconds. For a single glass of tea (at least a pint-sized glass), you’ll need one cup of this very hot water.
Add tea bags, not time
The longer you brew your tea, the more bitter it becomes. If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, resist the urge to steep the tea bags for a long time, and instead, add more tea bags. This way, you’ll get a fuller tea flavor without the bitterness of over-brewing. I prefer the taste of tea to sugar (at least when it comes to beverages), so I typically use two tea bags for one cup of boiling water and let it steep for 4-5 minutes.
Always add sugar before ice
Sugar doesn’t dissolve in cold water, at least not quickly enough for those wanting a well-sweetened glass of tea. To prevent it from sitting at the bottom of the glass, stir 1-2 tablespoons of sugar into the hot tea. (Some dedicated sweet tea lovers might prefer three full tablespoons, and I’m not here to judge.)
Cool it gently, not abruptly
Some black teas don’t handle rapid cooling well, and if you add too much ice all at once, it can make your tea cloudy. To avoid this, mix your hot, sweetened tea concentrate with an equal amount of room-temperature water, stir it until it’s no longer hot, then add plenty of ice.
Let’s recap
To make a single glass of sweet tea, you will need:
2 cups of water, split
1-2 inexpensive black tea bags
1-3 tablespoons of white sugar
Ice
A very large glass
Heat one cup of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, remove it from the heat, pour it out of the kettle, or—if you’re like me—use the microwave. Let it cool for about 10 seconds, then add your tea bags and steep for four minutes.
Take out the tea bags, add your desired amount of sugar, and stir to dissolve. Fill a large tea glass with one cup of room-temperature water, pour in your hot, sweetened tea concentrate, and stir to cool it down. Once it’s no longer hot, add as much ice as the glass can hold. Enjoy it on a porch, balcony, or near your favorite window.
