Let's get one thing straight: Iced tea is the quintessential summer cooler. For most people I know, as soon as the weather gets balmy, it's officially iced coffee season. For me, not so much, because, confession time: I am not really a coffee drinker. And while I can't deny that iced coffee doesn't hit the spot sometimes, a nice, tall glass of iced tea is the superior warm weather refresher.
Make a big pitcher and I guarantee you'll forget iced coffee even exists. And while you could simply dunk a tea bag in some hot water and throw in a handful of ice, a little extra TLC can go a long way in making a better brew. Here's how the make the best iced tea possible:

START WITH GREAT INGREDIENTS

"If you don't start with high quality tea and high quality water like spring or filtered tap water, nothing else matters," says Jesse Jacobs, Founder of Samovar Tea in San Francisco. Since tea isn't much more than leaves steeped in hot water, those two basic ingredients should be superior to get great results.
Leave those commercial or supermarket brand tea bags at the store: their quality is unreliable, as they're often produced from low grade, tiny, broken leaves known as “dust." "Tea that is massed produced like those tea bags is going to be flatter and less complex," says Jesse. Instead, seek out a quality brand or go for the triangular or pyramid-shaped bags, which contain larger leaves.
Or reach for loose tea. Jesse believes that "its consistent size results in a balanced, even brew." "Loose tea will give you more a full bodied, complex tea," says Emeric Harney, General Manager of Harney & Sons SoHo in New York City. Alternately, tea bags, which generally contain smaller leaves, "give you something that infuses really quickly so it's a bit bolder and more intense. The choice depends not only on convenience but on what you are going for in terms of flavor."
PHOTO BY CHELSEA KYLE, FOOD STYLING BY SHEELA PRAKASH

PICK A METHOD

There are multiple routes you can take to a cool glass of iced tea. "It really depends on how much time you have," says Jesse. You can get great results from all methods, though Jesse does point out that "cold brew can be said to be marginally better since the longer brew time extracts more nuanced flavor out of the tea leaves." Pick the method that works best for your schedule. For 16 ounces or two cups of finished tea, you can do the following:
  1. Hot Brew: If using loose leaf tea, pour one cup of hot water (Jesse recommends 190 °F, which is just under boiling) 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, simply remove the spent bags.
  2. 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.
  3. Sun Brew: "The cool part about sun tea is it has that country feel to it," says Jesse. Follow the cold brew ratio above. Before you begin, douse the tea leaves or tea bag in boiling water (just enough to get it wet) to sterilize them, since there's a small risk of introducing bacteria to the brew if you're leaving it out in the sun for awhile. Instead of letting it steep in the refrigerator, leave the pitcher by a sunny window or in spot outside that gets full sun for six hours—serve it over ice when finished.

SWEETEN IT UP

Trying to stir a few spoonfuls of granulated sugar into your iced tea isn't going to work—the sugar won't melt and will simply sink to the bottom. Instead, reach for a simple syrup when sweetening your brew.
Simmer equal parts sugar and water on the stove until the sugar is dissolved. Stir one to three tablespoons of the syrup into your 16 ounce pitcher of 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," says Emeric.

ADD A LITTLE EXTRA

Jesse likes to serve iced tea in chilled glasses with big cocktail-style ice cubes. "A sprig or two of fresh mint, a slice of orange, or a wedge of peach is nice as well," Jesse says. Then all you need to do is take your glass outside, sit, sip, and enjoy one of summer's little pleasures.