Part Three of Our Summer Series

Welcome back to our summer blog series with the best organic iced tea recipes to make at home! Enjoy pure summer in a glass with: Breakfast Blend, Turmeric Amber Sun, Honeybush and Ginger Lemon. From a bold classic to a citrus zinger; warming and grounding to smooth sweetness, these Numi tea bag flavors translate into refreshing, clean organic beverages you can gulp all day long. Staying hydrated during a summer heat wave is crucial, and organic iced tea in its many forms is the perfect refresher. We’ve included mocktail recipes for each flavor to test and enjoy. Check out eight other recommendations from Teas We Love Iced part 1 and Teas We Love Iced part 2 summer series. 

Does Tea Count Towards Hydration? Short Answer: Yes!
One of the most common questions asked is, does tea count toward your daily water intake? The short answer is yes. Tea is mostly water (99%+), so it absolutely contributes towards hydration. The old myth that caffeine makes tea dehydrating has been largely debunked. Studies have found that moderate tea consumption hydrates about as effectively as plain water, because the mild diuretic effect of caffeine is offset by the volume of fluid consumed.

In cases of bloating and water retention, mild natural diuretics like caffeine in tea are useful. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the kidneys, which normally signals the body to reabsorb water. When blocked, the kidneys excrete more water and sodium which passes through to urine. Please consult your doctor for proper diagnoses and remedies.

Four Organic Iced Teas You’ll Love This Summer

Our Part Three lineup — Breakfast Blend, Turmeric Amber Sun, Honeybush, and Ginger Lemon — brings something for every summer mood. From smoothto earthy, bold to bright, these flavors are wonderful iced. See below for flavor profiles and refreshing iced tea mocktail recipes.

1. Breakfast Blend — The Best Organic Black Tea for Iced Tea

Breakfast Blend is a classic that combines bold and robust black teas from Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling. This hearty and complex brew holds up beautifully to milk or ice. If you love a traditional iced black tea or a Southern sweet tea, this is your brew. It’s simple, satisfying, and endlessly customizable — serve it plain over ice, lightly sweetened, with a lemon wedge, or with a splash of milk for an effortless iced tea latte.

Flavor profile: Bold, malty & full-bodied
Caffeine: Medium to high

Garnish Ideas

•             Lemon or orange wedges

•             Fresh peach slices for a Southern-inspired summer twist

•             Splash of milk for an iced tea latte

•             Simple syrup or honey for sweet tea

•             Equal parts fresh lemonade for an Arnold Palmer

Organic Arnold Palmer

•             Steep 3 Numi Breakfast Blend tea bags in 12 oz boiling water for 4 minutes

•             Cool to room temperature

•             Add 12 oz. lemonade

•             Pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh mint.

•             Makes 2 servings

2. Turmeric Amber Sun — Golden Tonic

Turmeric Amber Sun surprises people when they try it iced. Built on a rich rooibos and honeybush base with organic turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, it’s smooth flavor and subtle spice is naturally sweet with a warming finish. This caffeine-free iced tea is full of turmeric’s well-known anti-inflammatory properties, as nourishing as it is delicious. Over ice, those warming spices mellow and bloom into something beautifully rich and aromatic.

Flavor profile: Earthy, gently spiced & warming
Caffeine: Caffeine-free

Garnish Ideas

•             Fresh orange slice or a squeeze of orange juice

•             Drizzle of honey and a cinnamon stick

•             Milk of choice for a golden iced latte

•             Fresh ginger slice steeped in for extra zing

Turmeric Citrus Cold Brew

•             Steep 2 Numi Turmeric Amber Sun tea bags in 4 oz boiling water for 5–6 minutes. 

•             Add 1 tbsp honey or agave syrup

•             Add 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

•             Add ½ cup fresh orange juice

•             Add 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)

•             Pour in ice-filled glass

•             Garnish with orange or lemon slice

3. Honeybush – A Sweet Numi Original 

Honeybush was one of Numi’s first 9 teas and has been a favorite ever since. A cousin of the rooibos plant, honeybush is a flowering shrub that yields a rich, earthy brew with honey overtones. Naturally sweet and nectary, Honeybush is a great candidate for iced tea. No sweetener needed, this caffeine-free honeybush tea is a delightful year-round tea, especially over ice on a warm afternoon.

Flavor profile: Rich, sweet with soft spice
Caffeine: Caffeine-free

Garnish Ideas

•             Fresh orange slice or a squeeze of orange juice

•             Frozen peach slices act as ice cubes

•             Drizzle of honey and a cinnamon stick

•             Pomegranate arils for a jewel-toned garnish

Honeybush Sunset Iced Tea

•             Steep 8 Numi Honeybush tea bags in 4 cups boiling water (in heat-resistant pitcher)

•             Stir in 2 tbsp. honey or agave, to taste 

•             Add 1 orange, sliced into rounds 

•             Add 1 lemon, sliced into rounds 

•             Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract 

•             Allow to cool/refrigerate

•             Pour over ice (makes 2 servings)

Ginger Lemon — Comforting Zinger

Ginger Lemon is a powerhouse of flavor. Organic ginger root, bright lemon myrtle, fragrant lemongrass and soothing lemon verbena bring vibrancy. While decaf green tea provides a smooth base. Ginger has been celebrated for centuries for its digestive support and energizing warmth. Citrusy brightness adds a clean, lively finish. Whether you’re brewing a pitcher of lemon ginger iced tea or just popping a bag into your water bottle for the day, this one delivers.

Flavor profile: Citrusy, warming & invigorating
Caffeine: Caffeine-free

Garnish Ideas

•             Fresh lemon wheel with sprig of rosemary

•             Splash of sparkling water for a fizzy, refreshing herbal iced tea mocktail

•             Squeeze of fresh lime for extra citrus brightness

•             Frozen mango cubes instead of regular ice for tropical sweetness

Ginger Lemon Fizz Mocktail Recipe

•             Steep 2 Numi Ginger Lemon tea bags in 8 oz boiling water for 6 minutes. Cool completely.

•             Add honey or agave to taste

•             Pour over a glass of ice. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon and lime.

•             Top with sparkling water (about 4 oz).

•             Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh ginger slice. Optional: a pinch of cayenne for heat.

Brew it strong. When making iced tea, use a little more leaf or an extra bag — the ice will dilute it, and you want that flavor to stay bright and present.

Cool it before you ice it. Pouring hot tea directly over a glass packed with ice will melt the ice quickly and dilute your tea significantly. We recommend cooling your brew to room temp first, then pouring over ice. Plus it will make your tea cloudy.

Cold brew when you can. It takes patience (anywhere from 6–12 hours), but cold brew iced tea produces the smoothest, cleanest, most nuanced organic iced tea. Cold brew tea preserves delicate flavors — especially florals like jasmine and lavender — that heat can dull. Make a batch the night before and wake up to something wonderful.

Specialty Beverages: Any of these iced teas can be blended with lemonade, sparkling water, a spirit or all three. Get creative and share your concoctions with us on Instagram at @numiorganictea

Don't skip the garnish. A garnish isn't just pretty — it adds aroma, a little flavor pop, and makes the experience feel special. Iced tea is a small ritual worth celebrating.

How to Make Iced Tea: Preparation Instructions

Tea Bags: Steep 2 tea bags in 8 oz of hot water for 2–3 minutes. Remove bags, cool, then pour over a glass full of ice. For a pitcher, use 8 bags in 32 oz (1 quart) of water.

Loose Leaf: Use 2 teaspoons of loose Jasmine Green per 8 oz of water at 175°F. Steep for 2–3 minutes, strain, then cool and pour over ice. For a pitcher, use 8 bags in 32 oz (1 quart) of water.

Cold Brew: Add 8 tea bags (or 3 tablespoons of loose leaf) to 32 oz (1 quart) of cold, filtered water. Cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours or overnight. Strain and serve over ice.

Temperature and steep time by tea:

Thank you for joining us for Part Three of our Teas We Love Iced series! We hope these four organic iced teas find their way into your glass, your flask, and your summer. We’d love to see how you’re sipping — tag us on Instagram at @numiorganictea and show us your iced creations. Stay hydrated, stay curious, and keep sipping.

Cheers!

The Numi Tea’m