Hi, everyone. A tall glass of cold lemon tea sounds like a small thing, but the store-bought versions are usually either too sweet or too weak.

Making it yourself takes about 20 minutes, and you control both the strength of the tea and the amount of sugar. Here is the version that works every time.

What you'll need

For one liter of finished drink, gather 1 liter of water, 10 grams of loose black tea (or 4 standard tea bags), 1 medium lemon, 60 to 80 grams of white sugar, and a handful of ice. Use a strong black tea such as Ceylon or Assam. A lighter tea like Darjeeling gets lost once the lemon and sugar go in. If you want it sweeter, keep a little extra sugar on hand and add it while the tea is still hot so it dissolves fully.

Brew strong, then chill fast

Boil the water, then let it sit for about a minute so it drops to roughly 95°C. Steep the tea for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not go past 6 minutes, because the tannins turn bitter and no amount of sugar fixes that. Stir in the sugar while the tea is hot. Then cool it down quickly: pour the tea into a jug and sit it in a bowl of ice water, or just let it reach room temperature and move it to the fridge. Fast chilling keeps the flavor clean.

Get the lemon right

Wash the lemon well. Cut two or three thin slices for garnish and set them aside. Juice the rest, and aim for about 3 tablespoons of fresh juice per liter. Add the juice only after the tea has cooled. Hot tea plus lemon juice turns the drink muddy and dulls the citrus. Drop the slices in at the end and let them sit for a few minutes before serving.

One mistake to avoid

The common error is pouring hot tea straight over ice. It melts the ice instantly and leaves you with a watery drink. Chill the tea first, then pour it over fresh ice in the glass. If you like a bit of fizz, top each glass with 50 ml of cold soda water right before serving. That is a nice variation for hot afternoons.

Storage and serving

Keep the tea base in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed jug. Add the lemon juice and slices only when you serve, since the juice loses its edge after a day. Serve it very cold in tall glasses. A sprig of mint works if you have it, but it is optional.

You do not need fancy equipment for this, just a cooking vessel, a jug, and a strainer. Brew the tea strong, sweeten it while hot, chill it fast, and add the lemon last. Try it once and you will likely stop buying the bottled kind.