Botanical Cold Brew Green Tea with Jasmine and Lemongrass

Sharing is caring!

There are evenings when you want something in your glass that feels intentional – something with a little ceremony to it without reaching for alcohol. This botanical cold brew green tea is that drink for me. Loose leaf green tea, dried jasmine flowers and a stalk of fresh lemongrass go into a glass carafe before bed, cold water is poured over, overnight something quietly beautiful is waiting in the refrigerator.

The flavor is delicate and layered in a way that hot brewing never quite achieves. Cold water draws out the sweetness of the green tea and the floral notes of the jasmine slowly, without any of the bitterness that comes from heat. The lemongrass adds a clean, citrusy brightness that lifts the whole thing. Poured over ice and topped with sparkling water it becomes one of the most refreshing and satisfying drinks I’ve made.

This is the first in a series of botanical cold brews each one built around a different tea and a different combination of botanicals (and of matches my mood for the evening). They all follow the same simple method. The only thing that changes is what you put in the jar.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this cold brewed tea are simple, green tea leaves, dried jasmine and fresh lemongrass stalks. And of course clear, cold water.

I like to use sencha green tea for this recipe, but any good quality dried, loose leaf green tea will work.

Mixing the dried herbs and covering with water is a relaxing part of my day, whether I brew this tea in the morning for a soothing evening sip with a bit of caffeinated buzz or as an afternoon pick-me up.

Cold Brewing Tea Materials

A good glass carafe is essential for this process. The colors deepen as the tea brews, it really is a beautiful process to observe. I like to give the tea a good swirl every few hours, making sure everything is combined a brewing, slowly.

The glass carafe is a great way to see how deeply brewed your tea is, the darker the color the more flavor will be strained into your glass.

Speaking of straining, a fine mesh sieve is an essential piece of equipment for this cold brew process.

A Note on Cold Brewing

Cold brewing is slower than hot brewing but the results are worth the patience. The lower temperature extracts flavor more gently – less caffeine, less bitterness, more of the delicate floral and herbal notes that make botanical teas so beautiful. It also means the botanicals have time to open up fully overnight, filling your carafe with something that looks almost too pretty to strain.
If you’re new to cold brewing, green tea is the most forgiving place to start. It’s difficult to over-steep and the flavor profile is gentle enough that the botanicals you add really get to shine.

Sweetening Cold Brew Tea

The delicate flavors of green tea, lemongrass and jasmine have a soft sweetness, I tend to add a miniscule amount (if any) of granulated sugar, or a small drop of honey. I normally don’t sweeten this botanical cold brew green tea with jasmine and lemongrass though, I like to keep the flavor lite and floral.

Sometimes I add a drop of simple syrup, classic or flavored works equally well. If you want to play with flavor – a spoonful of lemongrass cilantro simple syrup deepens the lemongrass note beautifully, or try the rhubarb simple syrup with ginger for a tart, pink spring variation.

Drinking Cold Brew Tea

What to add to cold brew green tea after you have steeped your beverage overnight? This cold brew green tea recipe can be enjoyed over ice.

I like to top this non alcoholic alternative cold brew tea with sparkling water, especially in the evening when I feel like I’ve earned a relaxing moment at the end of the day.

A Calm, Intentional Cup of Tea

This process is much like my morning stewed fruit for yogurt bowls routine. The fruit and base flavor changes with the season, but the daily routine and process remains the same. Every evening (especially during the heat of the spring and summer months) I layer my loose leaf tea, botanical and floral ingredients into a carafe, pour clear water to the brim and leave to sit and cold brew overnight. In those hours an elixir of complex, layered flavor forms, slowly and ready to drink by the morning.