ICY TEAS, COOL OFFERS / Summer, 2026
Reading time: about 10 minutes
Tea is one of the world's most beloved beverages, enjoyed for its rich flavors and comforting warmth. But when summer temperatures rise, a steaming cup might not be be what we're craving. Fortunately, tea can be just as great served cold. In this guide, we'll explore several easy ways to make delicious cold-brewed and iced teas at home.
Information that is covered:
- Summer seasonal matcha
- Matcha, made cold
- Iced loose leaf teas
- Mizudashi - cold brew loose leaf teas
- Recommended tea tools
Seasonal iced matcha
Every year, matcha producers come out with seasonal matcha blends inspired by the summer. These matcha teas are made with hot water then poured over ice, and are only available in summer.
Maruyasu offers:
Matcha Unsui
Matcha with a pleasantly creamy, nutty taste. The manufacturer recommends it prepared with hot water, served on ice.
☞ 30 g Branded CAN > $37.80
Kanbayashi Shunsho offers:
Ryō Matcha
Summer edition matcha recommended with ice. An extremely aromatic and fragrant tea with a flavor reminiscent of peanuts.
☞ 30 g Branded CAN > $19.44
Marukyu Koyamaen has developed a unique solution for effortless summer matcha. Thanks to a special freeze-drying process, this matcha dissolves easily in both hot and cold water without the need for sifting. Simply mix, stir, and enjoy a refreshing bowl or glass of matcha in moments.
Marukyu Koyamaen offers:
A special matcha blend from Marukyu-Koyamen.
Thanks to the freeze-drying processing, Suzukumo does not need sifting before consumption. It is suitable for preparing both hot and cold matcha, which makes it a perfect choice for summer.
☞ 30 g Branded CAN > $58.32
Matcha AwarakuAnother delicious freeze-dried matcha that requires no sifting.
☞ 30 g Branded CAN > $41.04
HOW TO MAKE ICED MATCHA
1 ➢ Put 2 g (0.4 US tsp, 1 teaspoon, or 2 chashaku scoops) sifted matcha powder into a tea bowl.
2 ➢ Pour 30 ml (1 fl oz) of about 40℃ (104°F) water over the matcha powder.
3 ➢ Whisk with a chasen (tea whisk) until foamy.
4 ➢ Put ice cubes into the ready matcha and enjoy it cold.
Recommended tools:
Hira chawan or glass chawan and Shirotake Shin Chasen
CHILLED Matcha SOFT DRINKS
Matcha sweetened with sugar is characterized by a light, sweet, yet rich flavor. Especially good for cold soft drinks like Matcha Ice Latte or Matcha Lemonade.
Sweet Green Tea by Hekisuien
☞ 120 g Sazen BOX > $8.10
☞ 1000 g BULK > $54
Sweet Green Tea Stick by Hokoen
☞ 10 x 20 g sachets > $23.76
☞ 20 x 20 g sachets > $47.52
☞ 100 x 20 g sachets > $213.84
➤ HOW TO MAKE SWEET GREEN TEA
1 ➢ Put 20 g (4 US tsp) sweetened matcha into your cup.
2 ➢ Pour in about 150 ml (5 fl oz) of cold water (or any kind of milk you like, e.g. normal, soy, almond, etc.).
3 ➢ Mix well and add ice.
TIP: For matcha lemonade, prepare it with still water or soda and add mint, herbs, or lemon juice to taste.
For the most appetizing matcha drinks and desserts, Yamamasa Koyamaen created a recipe book that includes several summer inspired matcha and hōjicha tea drinks. The book comes with an English booklet - our translation of the recipes - to help make the preparation of tea soft drinks and desserts an effortless entertainment.
☞ Japanese book + English booklet > $22.00
Iced LOOSE-LEAF tea
Loose-leaf teas are usually made hot, but some are exceptionally delicious when you cool them down with ice. They have a more intense flavor with a fresh, astringent touch.
Recommendations from SAZEN's original selection:
A limited edition blend for hot, sun-kissed days.
Delicately green with floral hints. Perfectly refreshing.
☞ 50 g Sazen BAG > $6.48
☞ 300 g Sazen BAG + Teabag > $37.80
Chiran Tokujō Fukamushicha ⎼ Japanese Green Tea
This premium fukamushicha is made of high-quality green tea leaves exposed to direct sunlight. After the harvest, the tea is steamed longer, which results in fine leaves, more tea dust, rich umami, and a relatively high caffeine level.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $21.60
☞ 200 g Sazen BAG > $41.04
Matcha iri Genmaicha Genmyo ⎼ Japanese Green Tea Blended with Rice
A special gourmet blend of sencha leaves, powdered green tea, and roasted brown rice. Tea bushes are exposed to direct sunlight, therefore the taste is characteristic with the pleasant roasted aroma of brown rice. Vitalizing and refreshing.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $9.72
☞ 200 g Sazen BAG > $18.36
Uji Karigane Wakatake
Karigane is a tea where tea leaves and tea stems are mixed.
It contains more vitamin C than other types of green tea and has a mildly bitter, slightly creamy taste. Uji Karigane is made of Sencha when the tea bushes are exposed to direct sunlight, that is why its taste has a characteristic refreshing flavor with a lush ‘green’ aftertaste.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $10.80
☞ 200 g Sazen BAG > $21.60
HOW TO MAKE ICED LOOSE LEAF TEA
1 ➢ Put 8 g (2 US tsp) of tea leaves into a large teapot.
2 ➢ Cool down boiled water to 85℃ (185ºF) and pour 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) into the teapot.
3 ➢ Steep for 50 seconds.
4 ➢ Fill a large pitcher (about the capacity of half a liter) and pour the tea over it.
5 ➢ Make another infusion, with 200 ml (6.7 fl oz) water, 50℃ (122ºF) water, and 1-minute steeping time.
6 ➢ Pour it into the same pitcher to mix the two infusions and enjoy it cold.
Recommended tools: HARIO Largo Tea Dripper
A convenient, stylish and modern tea dripper that makes brewing fast and simple while giving you full control over the process. Its large capacity allows you to prepare tea for a group quickly, with consistent flavor and quality every time. For a fun summer twist, add ice to the pitcher and make delicious iced tea with just one push. A perfect choice for both everyday use and entertaining guests.
Mizudashi - cold brew
Mizudashi means cold-brew tea in Japanese. Teas can have multiple characters. Tea prepared with cold water is amazingly refreshing with taste notes and aromas we might not get brewing them in hot water. Cold-brew tea is generally pleasant, mild, and sweet, especially compared to teas prepared with the above-mentioned iced tea method.
For this technique, we recommend Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese teas as well.
For Japanese green teas, using around 10 g of tea leaves is generally a good starting point for mizudashi (cold brewing). For Chinese and Taiwanese teas, 5–8 g is usually sufficient, depending on the tea's flavor profile and intensity.
The ideal steeping time varies from tea to tea. Some teas release their flavor and aroma more quickly, while others require a longer infusion. Deep-steamed Japanese teas, whose leaves are often broken into smaller pieces during processing, tend to infuse rapidly and may be ready after just 4 hours in the refrigerator.
By contrast, teas with tightly rolled leaves or those that have undergone roasting are slower to release their flavor. These teas generally benefit from a longer steep, often overnight, to fully develop their character. As a general rule, an overnight cold steep works well for all types of tea.
Recommended Japanese Teas for cold brewing:
Green tea from shaded tea fields with a rich umami flavor, produced in Ujitawara, the southern part of Kyoto.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $25.92
Tongu Saemidori
Single-origin green tea cultivar with a rich and sweet flavor, a fresh, grassy aroma, and a lemongrass aftertaste.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $16.20
Characteristic pan-fried green tea with nutty notes from Saga Prefecture, Japan
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $15.12
Kōcha Hōjicha
Roasted black tea. It is amazingly sweet with dark chocolate and honey notes.
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $15.12
Yame Kōcha
Fruity and sweet, with the spicy edge of poppyseed and black sesame notes.
☞ 50 g Sazen BAG > $9.72
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $17.82
Recommended Chinese Teas for cold brewing:
Mo Li Long Zhu
Green tea produced in Fujian Province, scented 8 times by fresh jasmine flowers.
A pure floral joy.
☞ 30 g Sazen BAG > $25.92
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $86.40
Feng Huang Dancong Mi Lan Xiang Xue Pian
Oolong tea from the Phoenix Mountains with aromatic floral, honey and passion fruit notes. A guaranteed success for summer parties.
☞ 10 g Sazen BAG > $8.64
☞ 20 g Sazen BAG > $16.20
Bi Luo Chun
One of the 10 Most Famous Chinese Green Teas during the Qin Dynasty, and even these days, it is celebrated among the bests. Sweet, fruity, and grainy. The flavor while mild and mellow, is nectary sweet and fruity with notes of dried fruit, jam, and fresh mango.
☞ 10 g Sazen BAG > $19.44
Recommended Taiwanese Teas for cold brewing:
Dong Fang Meiren Superior (Oriental Beauty)
Rare Taiwanese oolong tea with the aroma of malt, ripe fruit and honey.
☞ 30 g Sazen BAG > $10.80
☞ 100 g Sazen BAG > $32.40
HOW TO MAKE ICED LOOSE LEAF TEA
1 ➢ Put 10 g (2 US tsp) of tea leaves in a large tea maker.
2 ➢ Fill your vessel (or tea maker) with cold water (about 800–1000 ml).
3 ➢ Put the vessel in the fridge and wait for at least 4 hours and enjoy it cold.
TIP ★ Prepare it in the evening before going to bed, so you can start the morning with a refreshing cup of mizudashi iced tea.
TIP ★ Flavor it with mint, lemongrass, etc.
TIP ★ You can make one more infusion, steeping time: 1–2 hours.
Recommended tools: HARIO Mizudashi tea maker and Meiren Glass Tea Cup
Recommended tea tools for making cold tea
To bring the best out of your summer tea, you need suitable tools. Some of them are summer tools by function, some by design, but they are all delightful addition to your summer tea time.
Hira chawan
“Hira” refers to the shape of the chawan: broad and flat. This shape, with its wide and open mouth, helps the matcha cool faster. With ice in it, it makes the perfect summer matcha.
Glass chawan
Cold touch and cool sight, a glass chawan brings a little extra to the summer tea times, especially when you add some ice to it.
Hiragata and Hiramaru Kyusu
These flat teapots are ideal to make cold loose leaf tea. Either you prepare it with hot water and then cool it down, or you make mizudashi with the ice slowly melting and dripping on the leaves, these teapots are great additions to any tea lover’s collection.
Meiren Glass Teapot
A stunning Chinese glass teapot that makes any tea session a magical experience. It is delicately crafted with intricate details, it features a built-in glass strainer and a precise finish for a beautiful pour. The built-in glass base keeps the bottom raised, so you can safely place it on any surface without having to worry about the heat.
☞ $88.00 / Piece
HARIO Mizudashi tea maker and Tea dripper are both excellent tools to make mizudashi tea for a larger group of people. Excellent for tea parties.
☞ $22.00 / Piece
P
The perfect tool to make iced tea on the go. All you need is a twist to separate the tea leaves from the water. This way, you can make several infusions.
☞ $30.80 / Piece
Matcha Picnic SetSummer is the perfect time to enjoy nature and the outdoors. This beautiful tea set makes every picnic or outdoor gathering even more special.
☞ $181.50 / Set
Accessories
Glass - Find the best glass accessories to make your summer tea time perfect.
Trays - Serve teas on beautiful wooden trays for elegance.
Teacups - No tea time can be complete without the perfect teacup, regardless of the season.
Yuzamashi (pitcher) - Use a yuzamashi to cool down the water and make the most delicious teas.
Summer decorations
Summer is a season of lots of colors and delight. Some of the popular summer motives are summer plants such as Ajisai (hydrangea), Aomomiji (green maple leaves), Kikyou (bellflower), Asagao (morning glory), Himawari (sunflower), Yanagi (willow), natural elements like Mizu (water) and Nyuudougumo (thunderhead), summer ornaments like Fuurin (windchimes), summer festival funs like Hanabi (fireworks) or Senkōhanabi (firecracker), and animals like Hotaru (firefly), Kingyo (goldfish), Semi (cicada), and Kaeru (frog).
