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orange cold brew iced tea served over ice with fresh orange slices

Orange Cold Brew Iced Tea

Ultra-smooth cold brew black tea infused with bright orange peel and softened with fresh orange juice. Clean, gently citrusy, and perfectly restrained — simple done right.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cold Brew Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Drinks
Calories: 25
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

COLD BREW BLACK TEA BASE
  • 1.65 L cold filtered water
  • 6 item black tea bags Ceylon or light breakfast tea
CITRUS FLAVORING
  • 2 strips orange peel orange part only; no white pith
  • 120-180 ml fresh orange juice to taste
TO SERVE
  • item ice
  • item thin round orange slices

Method
 

  1. Add the black tea bags to the cold water in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. Remove the tea bags without squeezing. The tea should be smooth, clean, and never bitter.
  2. Add the orange peel strips to the cold brew tea and let infuse for 10–12 minutes only, just until a fresh citrus aroma develops. Remove the peel promptly — longer contact adds bitterness and pithiness.
  3. Stir in ½ cup fresh orange juice and taste. Add up to ¾ cup total only if needed. The juice should lightly sweeten and brighten the tea, not turn it into juice.
  4. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours until fully cold and integrated.
  5. Fill glasses with ice, pour over the chilled orange cold brew iced tea, and garnish with thin round orange slices.

Notes

  • Cold brew is mandatory — hot-brewed black tea + orange = harsh.
  • Orange peel is fragrance only. If you taste bitterness, you failed timing.
  • Orange juice is the only sweetener. If it tastes flat, your oranges were weak.
  • Use light black tea so citrus stays clean.
  • Best enjoyed within 24 hours for brightness.