5 Iced Teas With Health-Boosting Benefits—Picked by a Pair of Brooklyn Pros

For some—barbecue enthusiasts, Southern belles, characters in John Grisham novels—there is no better cure for this languid stretch of summer than iced tea. Of course, sweet-as-pie Lipton isn’t the only route. Lately, those with a taste for ceremonial-grade matcha can find single-serve packets (by New York’s Chalait and Toronto’s Matcha Ninja) designed to be shaken into iced water. The Paris-based Kusmi Tea, a perennial model favorite, has also debuted seven blends with chilling in mind.

And then there are gems hailing from farther afield—in the case of these five picks, from the wild Jiri mountains of Korea, where “there are no highways, no bullet trains flying by,” says Stefen Ramirez, the deeply knowledgeable tea dealer at Brooklyn’s Atelier TD. This summer, he is hosting monthly tea tastings at Treatment by Lanshin, the nearby wellness studio founded by the acupuncturist and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu, L.Ac. Together, they have selected a group of summer-appropriate coolers with an equal eye toward delicate flavors and inside-out benefits.

“Drinking something chilled is going to encourage the system to cool down just by the physical temperature alone,” says Chiu, who has long looked to the plant world for potent remedies. By zeroing in on the innate characteristics of a particular brew—hydrating wild pear; white lotus, which aids digestion—a glassful can offer more than refreshment, with properties that often dovetail with traditional Chinese medicine. While Ramirez’s single-origin teas (which by definition come from the Camellia sinensis or assamica plants) have antioxidant powers of their own, Chiu is especially drawn to his tisanes (herb-based varieties). “I focus a lot on treating dermatological conditions, which requires a very high-intensity herbal medicine that translates to ‘tastes disgusting,’ ” Chiu says with a laugh. “These are in line with what I prescribe medicinally, just in a lighter, more drinkable form.”

Here, the two share notes on the flavor profiles and health benefits of each tea. Because brewing temperatures and methods draw out different characteristics, Ramirez also offers suggestions for cold-brewing, chilling, or icing down your drink of choice. An afternoon on the porch is all you need.

 

 

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