I learned about this ice brewing method (here: http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/category_s/159.htm) for green tea that I road tested with my good ol’ never ending bag of this stuff. Basically, caffeine and tannins are not as readily extracted in cold water, so brewing tea in cold water over a long period of time yields a sweeter, less stimulating tea.
I dumped four teaspoons of tea in the bottom of my three cup coffee press and filled it with a heaping pile of ice cubes. Then I simply waited for the ice to melt, and the tea was ready. This is obviously a beverage to plan ahead. I made it first thing in the morning and drank it at lunch, but it could just as easily be prepared the night before to be ready at breakfast.
The taste was sweeter, yes, but it was a little over-extracted to me. Perhaps four teaspoons was too much, since once the ice melted, the yield was just a little over two cups of tea. Also, the cubes from my ice maker are quite big and took a long time to melt, which equals a longer steep time. Next time I will try a mix of ice and water to shorten the steep time. I would also love to see how this turns out with crushed ice. Would it be awkward to order a cup of the crushed ice they use at Sonic?
