Sweet and perfectly peachy, you’ll want to keep this refreshing cold-brewed peach iced tea stocked and steeped in your fridge all summer long!

The cold brew method makes for a crisp and clean iced tea, combined with a sweet peach sugar syrup for the perfect hint of sweetness and fruity flavor. Also: for some grown up fun, add a splash of bourbon.

A peach-infused sugar syrup is what gives this tea its subtle peach flavor, basically water and sugar (I used organic unrefined sugar which has a more pronounced flavor than regular granulated sugar) simmered with fresh peaches. It’s very simple to make ahead of time; the syrup keeps remarkably well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

The hint of peach is just enough fruity flavor to grab your attention without overwhelming the true nature, both bitter and sweet, of the tea itself.

I tested both hot brew and cold brew methods to make iced tea, and the cold brew was clearly the winner (literally clearly – the hot-brewed-and-chilled tea was dark, bitter and unappealingly cloudy). The cold brew method is clear and crisp, the robust black tea flavor free of any excessive and undesirable bitterness.

The only downside to the cold brew method is it requires advanced planning: ideally you should let your iced tea steep for about 12 hours (if you plan to serve it beyond that, I recommend removing the tea bags after 12 hours to prevent the tea from getting bitter.)

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