How To Brew The Best Habibi's Classic Iced Tea |

The Quintessential All Season Cooler

Habibi, offers a range of hot and cold selection of beverages starting from Tea Sulaimani, Morocaan Tea, Lebanese Kahwa, Iced Tea not to forget Turkish coffee. Every beverage has a distinct quality, taste and use a specific kind of tea leaf which when brewed perfectly gives the right colour, flavour and aroma. However, a nice, tall glass of Ice tea is the superior warm weather refresher, which we can’t miss.

Follow the method mentioned below to brew it the way we serve at Habibi.’

PICK A METHOD

There are multiple routes you can take to a cool glass of iced tea. It totally depends on how much time you have. Cold brew can be slightly better since the longer brew time extracts more flavor out of the tea leaves. Pick the method that works best for your schedule. For two cups of finished tea, you can do the following:

Hot Brew: If you are using loose leaf tea, pour one cup of hot water over two tea bags in a glass or ceramic pitcher. Let steep for five minutes, then strain using a tea strainer or fine mesh strainer to remove the leaves. Pour one cup of cold water into the concentrate to dilute it then serve it over ice. If using tea bags, you’ll follow the same procedure, just use two tea bags instead of the loose tea and instead of straining, and simply remove the spent bags.

Cold Brew: In a pitcher, pour two cups of cold water over about a tablespoon of loose tea (or one tea bag) and let it sit in the refrigerator for eight to twelve hours or overnight. Then just pour the tea over ice to serve.

Sun Brew: “The cool part about sun tea is it has that country feel to it,” Follow the cold brew ratio above. Before you begin, leave the tea leaves or tea bag in boiling water just so that the water seeps in . Instead of letting it steep in the refrigerator, leave the pitcher in a spot outside that gets full sun for six hours—serve it over ice when finished.

SWEETEN IT UP

Trying to stir a granulated sugar won’t work—it will not melt and sink to the bottom. Instead a simple step can add an extra flavour with ease.

Simmer equal parts sugar and water on the stove until the sugar is dissolved. Stir continuously and mix it well with your cool tea, tasting as you add it and adjusting based on your preference.

You can also try alternative liquid sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. ‘Agave’ is also fantastic.

GIVE IT YOUR TOUCH AND FEEL

Serve iced tea in a super chilled glass with big cocktail-style ice cubes. A sprig or two of fresh mint, a slice of orange, or a wedge of lime is nice as well.

Then all you need to do is take your glass outside, sit, sip, and enjoy one of summer’s little pleasures.