Technique: Ice Brewing

Continuing with my enjoyment of iced teas, I have been experimenting with a new method of brewing green teas. Ice brewing, aka Shinobi-cha is a method of brewing tea very slowly. This method involves simply placing ice and some good tea leaf in a pot together and waiting. As the ice slowly melts the tea leaf infuses at a very cold temperature. Periodically you may pour off the small amount of infused tea to produce a very potent and rich cup of tea. It creates a much more intense experience and is savored very slowly and appreciatively. This is very pleasant when enjoyed slowly throughout the day.

To brew in this method is very simple. All you need is a teapot, some very good leaf, and ice. You may either add the ice to the teapot and place the leaf on top of it, or the other way around. Pile as much ice as you can in the teapot since it will melt very slowly. Once you have them in the pot, just wait. When you feel like tasting some of this tea, just pour it out into a small cup, and enjoy.