Brewing Guide

Black Tea

Here are our recommended ways to brew this black tea, including hot, cold brew, and gong fu methods.

Method

Hot brew

Recipe

Hot

Tea
3.0g
Water
250mL
Temp
99°C
Time
3 min

Steps

A simple everyday preparation that highlights the tea’s rich, malty character.

  1. Add the tea to your brewing vessel.
  2. Pour over the water.
  3. Steep for 3 minutes.
  4. Strain the leaves.
  5. Re-steep up to 3 times, increasing the steep time by around 1 minute with each infusion.

Method

Cold brew

Recipe

Cold

Tea
12.0g
Water
1L
Temp
4°C
Time
12 hrs

Steps

A smooth, refreshing preparation that brings out the tea’s sweeter notes.

  1. Add the tea to a bottle or pitcher.
  2. Add the water.
  3. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
  4. Strain the leaves.
  5. Serve over ice if desired.

Method

Gong fu brew

Recipe

Gong fu

Tea
5.0g
Water
100mL
Temp
95°C
Time
20s

Steps

Multiple short infusions reveal different aspects of the tea over the course of a session.

  1. Add the tea to a gaiwan or teapot.
  2. Pour over hot water and immediately discard the first infusion (optional rinse).
  3. Pour over fresh water.
  4. Steep the first infusion for around 20 seconds.
  5. Increase the steep time by around 5 seconds with each infusion.
  6. Continue brewing until the tea loses flavor, typically around 7 infusions.

Notes

Good to know.

  • Use these parameters as a starting point, then adjust them to suit your taste.
  • If the tea tastes too strong or bitter, try lowering the temperature before lowering the steep time.
  • If the tea tastes weak, try using a little more tea before increasing the steep time.
  • Cold brewing tends to produce a smoother, sweeter cup with less bitterness.
  • The leaves can be re-steeped around 3 times.