Iced Spearmint Tea

Black tea brewed with fresh spearmint leaves is a refreshing variation on everyone's favorite warm-weather beverage. Here's an easy Iced Spearmint Tea recipe.

Medium sized mason jar holding iced tea and ice cubes with more containers of tea in background.

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On a hot day, few things hit the spot quite as nicely as a cold glass of iced tea, whether you take it sweetened or unsweetened. Another refreshing flavor that can be found in abundance in summertime? Mint!

Put these two together and you get an even more refreshing beverage: Iced Spearmint Tea. Brewed with black tea and fresh spearmint leaves, it's really easy to make on your stove-top. Keep a pitcher handy in the fridge for yourself or for when company stops by.

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Spearmint gone wild
Why you'll love this recipe
🔪 How to make Iced Spearmint Tea
FAQs
Tips:
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Spearmint gone wild

Spearmint plants growing ourtside and viewed from above.

There is spearmint everywhere, and I mean everywhere in my garden. When I brought those first plants home years ago, divided from a deceptively tidy patch in my mother-in-law's yard, I stuck them straight into my garden.

Did I know better than to do this? Oh yes—mint plants spread aggressively, and easily survive the extremes of a New England winter. Seasoned gardeners will warn you to plant it in a bucket buried in the ground to keep it contained. Yes, I knew that, and yet... I planted my spearmint right in the dirt anyway.

Some part of me just wanted to see how rebellious that mint would really be. Well, I found out! Spearmint is a wild child. I kind of love that it's everywhere in the garden, and the wild look it creates.

At the height of summer, when the spearmint towers over other plants and repeatedly tries to gain a foothold in the lawn, I realize it has gotten a little too wild. When my fists are full of tall, purple flowered stalks and the scent of mint has filled the air around me, it's the perfect time to pull out my easy mint iced tea recipe.

Why you'll love this recipe

Two mason jars of iced tea, one on a wood cutting board with a pitcher of tea behind.

Iced tea is such a refreshing, warm-weather drink, but even more so when boosted by cool, fresh mint. The amount of mint leaves steeped in this tea is just enough to give it a subtle, thirst-quenching flavor. And if you really like mint? Just add in more spearmint leaves!

Brewing your own cold mint tea is always a smart choice, because it's cost-effective. Regular black pekoe tea bags are relatively inexpensive; if you prefer the richer flavors of Earl Grey, Irish, or herbal teas, you can use these instead.

Making your own fresh mint iced tea recipe means you get a more flavorful and true-tasting tea than anything bottled or dried. You can add sugar if you like, and use any type of natural or artificial sweetener you desire.

🔪 How to make Iced Spearmint Tea

Dry tea bags and fresh spearmint leaves in a large Pyrex pitcher next to a cutting board.

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Iced spearmint tea ingredients:

Black tea bags: I use regular, black pekoe tea bags such as Lipton. Feel free to try other types too, like Irish tea or Earl Grey tea.
Fresh spearmint leaves: Plant some spearmint seeds so you'll always have it in your garden to pick for tea. (Here's a guide from Gardener's Supply on how to grow spearmint.) You can also check garden stores and farmer's markets for fresh leaves and plants.

Steep the tea

Several tea bags and mint leaves steeping in a Pyrex bowl of boiling hot water.

Place tea bags (strings and labels removed) and fresh spearmint leaves in a heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over them, and give everything a quick stir. Allow the mixture to steep.

Chill the tea

SLotted spoon holding limp tea bags and mint leaves above a pitcher of tea.

Remove the tea bags and leaves. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for several hours or overnight until it's really, really cold.

Have some tea!

Sprigs of spearmint leaves next to a mason jar of iced tea with a straw,

Pour the cold, mint iced tea over ice. Add sweetener if you desire. Garnish the tea with a few fresh spearmint leaves. Enjoy!

FAQs

What's the difference between spearmint and peppermint?

Both spearmint and peppermint are members of the mint plant family, however, their flavors are very different. Taste Of Home shares that spearmint has low levels of menthol; the mint flavor is mild, and it has a sweeter flavor overall. Peppermint, on the other hand, has high levels of menthol and a very strong, almost spicy mint flavor.

Does spearmint have health benefits?

Cleveland Clinic shares that spearmint has high levels of antioxidants. They say the mint helps relieve symptoms of nausea, improves memory, and can help with stress relief. Mint has been used since ancient times to treat ailments and for its relaxing, aromatic properties.

Two mason jars of iced tea with ice cubes, straws and mint leaves.

Tips:

The amount of fresh spearmint leaves used in this recipe gives a subtle mint flavor to the iced tea—it's not overwhelmingly minty at all. If you prefer a stronger mint flavor, just add in extra spearmint leaves when steeping the tea.
For a non-caffeinated drink, steep the leaves with decaffeinated black tea bags, or a caffeine free herbal tea.

Pitcher and mason jars of dark iced tea with ice cubes and mint leaves.

The easy Iced Spearmint Tea recipe is below! Here are more summery drinks to try:

💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.

📖 Recipe

Glass jar with dark iced tea, ice cubes and fresh bright green mint leaves.

Nancy Mock

Black tea brewed with fresh spearmint leaves is a refreshing variation on everyone's favorite warm-weather beverage. Here's an easy Iced Spearmint Tea Recipe.

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