3 Cold Brew Tea Recipes to Make This Summer

Below are three cold brew tea recipes featuring popular Japanese teas such as sencha and mugicha, perfect for those seeking delightful summer drink recipes.

1. Classic Cold Brew Sencha

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of Senbird’s organic sencha leaves
• 1 liter of cold water
• Ice cubes
• Optional: Mint leaves or lemon slices for garnish

Instructions:

1. Place the sencha leaves in a clean, large pitcher.
2. Pour cold water over the leaves, ensuring they are fully submerged.
3. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing the sencha to infuse slowly.
4. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into another pitcher or directly into glasses.
5. Serve over ice, garnished with mint leaves or a slice of lemon if desired.

Alternative Method: 

For those looking to brew only for yourself or a few people, we recommend using a cold brew tea bottle. The built-in filter also allows you to skip the additional steps of straining and transferring. Simply add your favorite tea leaves, fill the bottle with cold water, and let it steep in your refrigerator. 

2. Mugicha (Barley Tea) Cold Brew

Ingredients:

• 1 tea bag of Senbird’s organic mugicha (barley tea)
• 1 liter of cold water
• Ice cubes
• Optional: Slices of cucumber or citrus for a refreshing twist

Instructions:

1. Add the mugicha tea bag to a large pitcher.
2. Fill the pitcher with cold water.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
4. Serve the cold brew mugicha over ice, with cucumber or citrus slices to enhance the naturally nutty and soothing flavor

Optional: if you like a bolder brew, prepare the mugicha with hot water and let it cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Once it’s chilled, usually after 1 hour, the cold mugicha will be ready to drink.

Mugicha is celebrated in Japan for its cooling effects and is a staple during the hot summer months. For those looking for a caffeine-free option that is also rich in nutrients, we recommend trying this popular Japanese iced tea.

3. Sparkling Yuzu Sencha

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of Senbird’s organic sencha leaves
• 1 liter of cold water
• Sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• 2 tablespoons of yuzu juice/concentrate

Instructions:

1. Steep sencha leaves in cold water in a pitcher, covering and refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
2. Strain the tea, ensuring all leaves are removed.
3. Fill glasses halfway with cold brewed sencha, then top up with sparkling water for a fizzy lift.
4. Add a splash of yuzu juice or concentrate before serving with ice for a tangy and refreshing flavor profile.

This recipe combines the grassy and sweet notes of sencha with the tart and aromatic notes of yuzu, a popular Japanese citrus, for a delicious and invigorating result.

Why Choose Cold Brew?

Cold brewing tea draws out a smoother, less bitter flavor, making it an excellent choice for those hot summer days. Whether you are sitting at the park or enjoying a quiet moment at home, these cold brew tea recipes provide a perfect way to hydrate and rejuvenate. You can also mix up infusing different fruits and garnishes into your cold-brews for endless possibilities of iced teas.

If you want to read more articles on cold brewing and Japanese tea recipes, check them out here:

• 6 Cold Brewing Tea Tips for Japanese Teas
• A Guide to Cold Brew and Iced Japanese Teas
• 5 Tips for Having Japanese Tea Outdoors
• 4 Health Benefits of Mugicha Barley Tea
• Health Benefits of Sencha Japanese Green Tea
• Green Tea Cocktail with Ginseng Recipe
• How to Make Matcha Lemonade

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