It’s National Iced Tea Month – so let’s take a look at this refreshing beverage. Iced tea is available in a variety of blends and flavors – and the right flavor can enhance your menu and make your customers say, “Yum!” But, a bitter or stale tasting iced tea can cause customers to ask for a different beverage, costing you money and impacting customer satisfaction.
Farmer Brothers iced teas are crafted specifically to deliver a smooth, rich flavor and combine well with any sweeteners. You can take a few, simple steps to ensure your iced tea really packs a punch:
Use filtered water. Because so many areas have hard water, or tap water that may have a strong “taste,” our reps recommend installing a water filter for your brewing equipment (coffee AND tea).
Remember, iced tea is simply water and tea leaves – so you want to make sure your water is free of bacteria and chlorine that can impact the taste and smell of your tea.
Clean your iced tea urns and brew basket. This is such an important step. Your brew basket, urn and the nozzle on your tea urn all retain residue and can seriously affect the way your tea tastes, smells and looks.
Be sure to clean your equipment every day by using urn cleaner or a gentle dish detergent. You will notice a positive difference in the quality of your iced tea.
Check your brewing temperature. If the water temperature of your iced tea brewer is too high it can cause the tea to taste bitter. Water that isn’t hot enough may not brew the tea leaves enough to extract their full, rich flavor.
Your sales rep should check the brewing temperature of your equipment periodically, to ensure it is operating at optimal levels.
Make fresh iced tea daily. Even if you tightly seal any leftover iced tea, it can absorb the odors and tastes of other items in your refrigerator; creating a bitter, stale, or off-tasting tea.
Some tea companies will even recommend making fresh iced tea after 4-6 hours.
So, if your tea has been resting in the urn most of the day; taste it and brew a fresh batch if you notice any difference in taste, aroma, or appearance.
Farmer Brothers has a comprehensive portfolio of classic and premium iced teas, including our new Rainforest Alliance certified black iced tea and new cane sugar sweetened iced teas. Our local sales rep can help you select iced tea flavors to complement your menu. And, they are trained to save you time and money by maintaining your equipment, re-stocking your inventory and discussing new and on-trend flavors with you.