Lets not exclude Tea in this mix. You get the added benefit of antioxidants. Once you can make great tea you can enjoy it at any temperature.
Yes, too much caffeine can act as a De-hydrant however you still will have a net hydrating intake. And caffeine free options are available.
These are my thoughts and opinions on this so we are not confused thinking I have sighted some random story or are talking out of my ass. (JWT)
Though most people prefer to drink tea cold and sweet which can add empty calories, taking an interest in making tea properly can change those factors in a short period of time.
Like developing a taste for wine we all start cold and sweet. Once you taste a good wine served at the right time and temperature it opens a whole new world of taste, and catches a different buzzard too..
(I prefer Reds, Merlot , Pinot and have had some great Greek blends.)
When making tea people tend to over steep their tea leaves or bags. This causes that dry mouth feeling that most experience when drinking homemade tea. Most also will bring the water to a boil, this causes the same effect as over steeping as well as over cooking anything and making it bitter.
Once you get the hang of making tea at home and truly taste what is interesting about the different varieties you will never look back and you will appreciate Tea uncolored by sweeteners or creams.
Tips for making Tea by the gallon.
1 gallon container, recycling juice jugs is recommended for the fact that they can handle heat and you are of course re-using it.
Good WATER makes all the difference. Where I live the water is hard and chlorinated. We get water from a local store with an RO system. Use 2-4 cups of water depending on the size of the pot you use, what you need is enough depth to make sure the bags can be submerged completely.
If you are using Family size Tea bags use 4 for full flavor, individual size bags you will need to use 15! Yes, 15.
Bring water to 180-200 degrees, this varies as you start to use loose leaf teas. Remove pot from heat and submerge tea bags.
The magic number is 4 minutes. Set a timer for 4 minutes. Once the timer goes off remove and squeeze the tea bags to get all the goodness out. Salad tongs work perfect. Immediately pour into your container.
Now would also be a good time to add sugar if you are going to sweeten your tea as the sugar will dissolve properly. To keep the daughter happy 1/2 cup of raw sugar is perfect.
Most directions aren't far off. I have found most say to steep between 3-5 minutes. If you follow the directions I am providing you will be pouring the concentrate into the container at the 4.5 minute mark.
Now, slowly pour in cool water to fill the gallon. This is another trick, the cooler the water the slower you will add it to the concentrate. If you add cold water to fast it will make the tea cloudy! Sound familiar?
Shake and refrigerate.
Filling a smaller bottle to take with you while running around will obviously loose temp, but the tea will still taste great and meet the criteria of hydrating with a drink that is not to cold.
Most people don't know that Teas can store (if stored properly) for years. After opening a box of tea bags place into a ziplock bag or air tight container and they can sit for up to 3 years. Properly stored Tea leaves can easily double that number.
I always enjoyed tea, some better than others but it wasn't until I watched a documentary Called "All in This Tea". In short this guy that sells tea goes running around china and talks not just about the history of tea but the proper ways of making it and the ritual of it as well. With what I see people post here, I am willing to bet you will all find this interesting, try to watch it if you can,
http://www.allinthistea.com/
Using some of the tips from this I have been able to make great tea ever since and have never looked back. Black Tea FTW.
