Heat 1 litre of water to 70–75°C. The temperature precision here exceeds that required for any other tea in this collection — 5°C above this range is sufficient to accelerate white tea's tannin extraction toward a specifically papery, dull result within the steep time. Below this range the extraction of the pleasant aromatic compounds is too slow to produce a meaningful character in the 3–4 minute window. The specific temperature window for white tea in 1 litre at crowd scale is narrower than the single-batch preparations because the higher total tea bag quantity (8–9 versus 2–3 in the single batch) means the extraction rate per litre is proportionally higher. Add 8 or 9 white tea bags. Steep for 3–4 minutes. The longer window compared to green tea's 2–2½ minutes reflects white tea's lower volatile compound extraction rate at 70–75°C versus green tea's 75–80°C — the same lower-temperature-needs-more-time principle as the single-batch White Tea Lemonade. Remove all bags simultaneously without squeezing — white tea bags hold a particularly delicate, papery note in the concentrated bag liquid that squeezing specifically releases.

Stir 80g of sugar into the warm white tea immediately after bag removal. The 80g starting quantity is the lowest of any crowd tea preparation — reflecting both the preparation's specifically restrained, delicate character and the 450g of strawberries' natural sugar contribution during the infusion period. The note about sweetener alternatives is specifically significant here: light brown sugar provides subtle warmth that amplifies the white tea's own slightly honeyed character; white granulated sugar produces the most transparent, most specifically clean result where the tea and strawberry aromatics are most clearly expressed; mild honey (acacia or clover) provides the most specifically floral, most specifically complementary sweetness to white tea's own faint florality. All three produce good results; the choice reflects the intended character of the specific gathering. Allow to cool for 5 minutes — until specifically warm rather than hot.

Add the thinly sliced strawberries and lemon zest simultaneously. Lightly press the strawberry slices with the back of a spoon once — enough to release visible juice and aroma from the outer cells of the slices without reducing them to a mash. The strawberry in this preparation is not the dominant colour-and-flavour-extraction vehicle it is in the single-batch strawberry preparations or the crowd pitchers. It is an aromatic contributor at a temperature specifically too low for the vivid colour extraction and flavour concentration of higher-heat preparations. Cover and steep for 8–10 minutes. The warm white tea at 65–70°C (progressively cooling through the 8–10 minute period) provides the specific temperature range for gentle strawberry aromatic extraction. The strawberry's furanone aromatic compounds — responsible for the specifically warm, fresh, identifiable strawberry fragrance — release progressively at this temperature without the jam-character conversion that would develop at 80°C+. At 8–10 minutes the extract should be a pale blush-pink and specifically fragrant of fresh strawberry alongside white tea's faint, specifically honeyed background. Do not extend beyond 10 minutes: the cooling medium progressively loses its extraction efficiency and the strawberry's inner-cell compounds, which are less pleasant, begin contributing.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently but firmly on the strawberry and zest solids. All strawberry pulp and seeds must be completely excluded from the strained extract. The brief's note — leftover strawberry pulp will dull the drink — is specifically accurate: white tea's clear, pale, specifically refined appearance and the preparation's clean, delicate character are both specifically undermined by pulp particles that continue extracting and developing colour and flavour in the pitcher during refrigerator rest. A clean, complete strain is the most important quality step. Allow to cool completely.

Pour the cooled strawberry white tea extract into the large pitcher. Add 1.8 litres of ice-cold water. Stir gently. The absence of juice in the final build is the preparation's most specifically distinctive structural characteristic compared to every other crowd tea and fruit pitcher in this collection. The liquid components are exclusively the steeped extract and cold water. This is specifically intentional: the delicate, refined character that white tea and gently infused strawberry produce is specifically preserved by the minimal-intervention final build. Adding strawberry juice would shift the primary register from tea-and-strawberry-aroma to strawberry-with-tea-background — a fundamentally different preparation in both character and quality. Taste: the drink should be specifically pale — a very faint blush to clear appearance — with a clean, specifically delicate strawberry fragrance and white tea's faint, clean, barely-there character simultaneously present. If the strawberry is not perceptible at all, the infusion may have been too brief or the strawberries too mild; a longer cold rest in the refrigerator may help the character develop. If the white tea is not perceptible as a background, the preparation is functioning correctly — white tea at crowd scale after dilution is specifically meant to be felt as a quality rather than identified as a flavour.

Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours. Prepare fresh strawberry slices immediately before service. Stir once before the first pour. Garnish each glass with 2–3 fresh strawberry slices and an optional lemon peel twist. Serve cold.