Kansas City Sweet Tea

Ingredients

• 8 black tea bags
• 8 cups filtered water, divided
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp baking soda, optional
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• Fresh mint
• Ice

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring 4 cups water just to a boil, remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep exactly 8 minutes without squeezing the bags.

2. 2

   Remove the bags and stir in sugar while the tea is hot. Add optional baking soda for an especially smooth pitcher.

3. 3

   Pour in 4 cups cold water and cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

4. 4

   Chill at least 2 hours. Add lemon slices shortly before serving so the peel does not make the tea bitter.

5. 5

   Serve over plenty of ice with fresh mint and adjust sweetness with simple syrup if desired.