Tea. Water. Pitcher. Sun. That’s all you need to make sun tea — summer’s liquid soulmate.

Learning how to make sun tea is a sweet way to spend a lazy afternoon outdoors with friends. Minimal effort is required, but the thrill we get from making the stuff comes in just beneath the childhood magic of mud pies and flower crowns.

Make a few jars of sun tea before yoga and lunch or before brunch and the beach. Then spend a little time connecting with a friend and hydrating with naturally nourishing ingredients right from the sun-warmed jars. Summer’s most low-tech beverage is also the perfect way to avoid a hot kitchen – set things up outdoors and avoid more time over a steaming teapot or stove.

How To Make Sun Tea

Choose your tea: To make classic sun tea, gather a few bags of your favorite black or green tea — you’ll need one per every cup of water used. For extra nutrients and flavor, try adding a handful of fresh mint, slices of lemon, thinly sliced ginger, or dried flowers like chamomile, jasmine and rose. To make a caffeine-free, functionality-focused version, try using an herbal infusion instead of tea bags. We use loose herbs for this and strain them out. Learn which herbal infusion is right for you and more about why we love them here.

Fill ‘er up: You’ll need a glass container with a lid that holds at least one gallon of water. Make sure to clean it thoroughly with hot water before you begin! Once washed, add 8 tea bags to the container (or more if you like your tea strong). Fill the container with eight cups of water (about halfway) and secure the lid tightly.

Get outdoors: Place your sun tea jar where the sunlight can strike the container for about 3 to 5 hours. Direct sunlight is ideal for making sun tea. Move the container around if necessary to keep it in the sun.

Taste + Adjust: When your sun tea starts taking on a nice, rich color after a few hours, taste and decide if you want to steep your tea for longer or if it’s ready to drink. If it’s too strong, you can add more water or balance out the intensity with a few drops of liquid stevia, a bit of honey or another natural sweetener. When you’re done sunning, transfer your sun tea to the fridge (you might want to pour it into a smaller vessel first). Serve over ice and enjoy!

Can’t wait to share your sun tea?  Serve it up in one of these chic pitchers or carafes.