Cold-Brewed Mixed Berries

Like the other cold-brewed tea I reviewed, this one is by Twining's.

Flavor: It is a basic berry tea, with caffeine. Once again, I marvel at the ability for this to "brew" without hot water. It is so easy! Although I put the tea bag in the glass and left it for a few hours, it does not taste too strong, although the color did darken a lot.

Suggested Additions: I recommend leaving this bag to steep for an hour, although just a few minutes will do the trick if you are in a rush. The reason for this is the longer it sits the more the berry flavor comes out. Regarding sugar: because I was lazy, I tried to pour a tiny dash of sugar without using a spoon. A large clump came out and plopped into the glass, so today's tea tastes a lot like southern sweet tea with a berry twist. It is pleasant and refreshing, but I usually try to use a lot less sugar. I did like the taste of the tea before I added sugar, but if you are sensitive to the tannic acid taste, a spoonful (not a large clump) will help take the bitterness away.

Ingredients: Tea, natural cherry, blueberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and tea flavorings with other natural flavorings, water, tea extract

Purpose: In my case, today it would be to channel the south with the Sweet Tea method of preparing it. But because it is an iced tea, it is refreshing and flavorful because of the berries. Also, it is a black tea, so even if you want a refreshing drink in the hot, late afternoon, don't drink it unless you are prepared for the caffeine content.