➡Loose leaf tea is more expensive and not always easy to find in store, but it’s generally made from high quality, larger cut tea leaves that produces a fresher and more flavorful tea.

➡Teabags are much more accessible, affordable and easy to brew.
However, the leaves are typically more processed, ‘dusty’ and fragmented, which makes for a less flavorful brew. 

It’s your choice which you want to use. Both options work and both options come with their own pros and cons. Technically, loose leaf will make a better tea, but you probably won’t notice or care unless you’re a real tea-aficionado.

➡ Brew time range: 3 hours – 24 hours

6-8 hours is generally the sweet spot for most people, but you may find your personal preference differ depending on the quality and type of green tea you use.

You can, but this recipe is written for regular green tea so you need to make some adjustments and check the instructions on your tea for the recommended brew time. It’s likely to need about 15 minutes and no more than a few hours max.

Cold brew tea bags are designed to quickly create a more concentrated flavor using cold water. If you brew them too long you might end up with an overly intense and bitter flavor.

Yes! Though cold brewed tea has a really smooth flavor, you can still make a delicious green tea lemonade with a hot brew.

Steps:
1. Heat water to 175°F (80°C): Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water and place over a medium-high heat. Heat the water until you start to see tiny bubbles form on the bottom of pot. If you have a cooking thermometer, use it to check for the ideal temp.

2. Steep: Add the leaves/tea bags, add the lid and brew for 2-3 minutes. Discard tea bags or strain out the leaves and stir in the sweetener. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.

3. Lemonade prep: Combine lemon juice and water in a large pitcher. Chill in the fridge until ready to combine.

4. Combine: Stir the cooled tea into the lemon mixture. Taste and sweeten more if needed then pour into ice filled glasses and enjoy.

You need a tea kettle or pot to simmer water and a cocktail shaker full of ice to cool the tea down quickly.

The basic idea is to make a green tea concentrate (high tea to water ratio), then chill it quickly in an iced-shaker with lemon and more water.

Single Serve Ingredients
• 1 ½ cup water, divided (360ml)
• 2-3 green tea bags
• 1 tbsp maple, honey, agave OR 2 tbsp white/brown sugar – more to taste, if needed
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (60ml)
• ½ cup ice + more for serving

Instructions
1. Heat ½ cup water in a small pot on the stove top over a medium-high heat until little bubbles start to form on the bottom of the pot. If using an electric kettle, stop the water before it reaches a full boil then wait a minute for it to cool a bit more. Ideal temp is 175°F (80°C).

2. Brew 2-3 minutes, remove the tea bags then stir in the sweetener.

3. Add about ½ cup ice to a cocktail shaker along with the lemon juice, remaining ¾ cup water and green tea. Add the shaker lid and shake until mixed and chilled.

4. Pour the chilled tea into ice-filled glasses, garnish as you like and enjoy.

Yes – green tea naturally has about 30-50mg of caffeine per 8oz (about 1 cup). For comparison, coffee has about 95 mg per 8oz.

However, cold brewing extracts about 30-40% less caffeine, but the exact amount of caffeine will vary depending on time and the green tea itself.

While it is less caffeine than standard cup of green tea, you may want to avoid drinking this in the evening if you’re particularly sensitive to stimulants like caffeine.