How To Brew Tea In A Good Way

Water, Tea, and Time

Brewing the perfect pot of tea is a little bit art and a little bit science—informed by sympathy, love and intuition. Sympathy for the leaves that reluctantly give of themselves their sensual goodness. Love for those who will share in this wonderful brew. And your intuition of all that you bring, your experience, your knowledge in this moment to brew a perfect pot of tea.

Do I have good water? What temperature of water? How much leaf? How long do I infuse? We suggest you play with each variable, especially temperature of water and steep time. Each tea has a range that plays with the flavor. As you adventure through the world of loose leaf tea, you will discover your brewing preferences for each tea. Find your sweet spot.

Brew It Hot

Every tea you purchase from Happy Lucky’s will come with a specific set of brew instructions telling you temperature of the water, how much loose leaf tea you need per 8oz cup, and the steep time or range. Brew instructions for each specific loose leaf tea are included on this website.

How Big is my Teapot or Favorite Mug?

So how do I determine the size of my teapot or mug? We suggest filling it with water and pouring it back into a liquid measuring cup. For example if you pour out 20 ounces of water then you would most likely need 2.5 teaspoons of loose-leaf tea, if the instructions are for 1 tsp/8oz.

General Brewing Instructions

Below is a chart of Happy Lucky’s General Brewing Instructions noting the temperature of the water, the quantity of loose leaf tea and the steep time. This is also a great place to start your tea adventure or help if you have other tea at home.

White Teas
Water temperature ≤ 170˚
Quantity of leaves = 1 1/2 - 2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = 1-3 minutes
# of infusions = 2+

Oolong Teas
Water temperature ≤ 190˚
Quantity of leaves = 1 - 1 1/2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = 1-3 minutes
# of infusions = 2+

Pu-er Teas
Water temperature = boil
Quantity of leaves = 1 - 1 1/2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = 1/2-5 minutes
# of infusions = 1-3

Green Teas
Water temperature ≤ 180˚
Quantity of leaves = 1 - 1 1/2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = Chinese 1-3 minutes
Japanese 1/2-1 minute
# of infusions = 2+

Black Teas
Water temperature ≤ boil
Quantity of leaves = 1 - 1 1/2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = 2-5 minutes
# of infusions = 1-3

Herbal Teas
(non Camellia sinensis teas)
Water temperature = boil
Quantity of leaves = 1 - 1 1/2 tsp / 8oz.
Steeping Time = 2-20 minutes
# of infusions = 1-3

Try It Iced

Iced Tea can be refreshing and flavorful; perfect for a hot summer day or any time of year.

Once you understand how to brew hot tea now it’s easy to make Iced Tea. The key is brewing the concentrate. The concept is simple—use the same amount of leaf but only brew with half the water. If you taste at this stage the tea will be strong. When you pour the concentrate over ice the tea will flash chill to the proper strength.

Here's how we do it at Happy Lucky's:

BREW IT

1. Select your favorite Happy Lucky's loose leaf tea.
2. Measure 1 tsp of loose leaf tea for every 8 oz
3. Measure half the amount of water but the same amount of tea you would normally use. This is the concentrate.
   (For example: You want to make a pitcher thats 32 oz. = 4 tsps of tea + 16 oz of hot water.)
4. Follow the directions for steep time and temperature specific to your selected tea. 

ICE IT

Fill glass pitcher, martini shaker or a glass with ice and pour in concentrate. We like the martini shaker because it’s fun to shake and serve. Be careful as the tea is hot and the lid of the shaker must be on securely.


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Tea is life...enjoy and share daily!