Summertime means HEAT and lots of it! That means a lot of folks reaching for iced tea. Some teas can take the chill better than others, though, so how do you choose?

First, which tea you choose depends on if you care if your tea is cloudy or not. Some teas steep up more clear than others, plus teas with certain ingredients such as cinnamon added will appear cloudy from those ingredients suspended in them.

Next, you need to think about the sweetness factor. Are you going for that Southern style “Sweet Tea” that tastes like it’s half sugar? Or would you like a more naturally sweet flavor? Fruits added to the teas can convey that hint of sweetness you are seeking.

Third, are you the “steep it hot and pour it really fast over a ton of ice” type, the “steep it in the sun and then stick it in the frig and hope it isn’t full of bacteria” type, or maybe the “steep it hot and let it cool on the counter and then chill overnight in the frig” type? Regardless of the method, select a proper tea.

Some teas and herbals I’ve tried that seem like they can really take the chill:

• Apple Spice black tea
• Monk’s Blend
• Bohemian Raspberry
• Japanese Sencha Kyoto Cherry
• Dragonwell (Longjing or Lungching)
• Mercedes Apple Spice
• Bingo Blueberry Herbal
• English Breakfast Blend No. 1
• Tropical Green Tea
• Scottish Breakfast tea
• Darjeeling
• Blood Orange Flavored Black Tea
• Apple Pear Green Tea
• Mango Mist
• Lemon Flavored Black Tea
• Peach Black Tea
• Blueberry Flavored Green Tea

Methinks there’s a pattern here: fruity teas and green teas and some black teas and an herbal infusion or two. Of course, if your taste leans toward florals, toss in a few of those, too. I find strong spices don’t work too well, especially ginger and cinnamon. Mint, though, is particularly good at adding a certain zest to your chilled or iced tea.

Go on the hunt and find some tea treasures of your own to give the “cold treatment”!

Also see:
Cloudy Tea
Iced Tea Roundup — Some Good Teas to Serve Chilled
For Chilled Tea, Go With Basic Black
Trying a Couple of Teas Chilled

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