Cold Brew Hojicha

Cold brew hojicha is the easiest tea you'll make all summer: whisk, refrigerate, pour over ice. Slow, cold extraction keeps all of hojicha's roasted caramel smoothness and leaves behind what little sharpness the tea has — the result is a clear amber glass that drinks like iced caramel water, zero sugar, barely-there caffeine. Make a liter on Sunday and you're set for days.

Ingredients (makes 1 liter / about 4 glasses)

• 2 teaspoons (about 6g) hojicha powder
• 4 cups (1 liter) cold filtered water
• Ice and anything green for garnish (a mint sprig is lovely, optional)

No special equipment — a large jar or bottle with a tight lid does everything.

How to make cold brew hojicha

1. Paste first. In the bottom of your jar, whisk the hojicha powder with 2–3 tablespoons of room-temperature water into a smooth, lump-free paste. (Powder dropped straight into a liter of cold water will cling to the surface and clump — the paste step fixes that forever.)
2. Fill and shake. Add the rest of the cold water, seal the lid, and shake hard for 15 seconds.
3. Rest cold. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is better and rounder. Because it's whole milled leaf, a soft settling at the bottom is natural — that's real tea, not an additive.
4. Serve. Shake or stir gently, pour over big ice cubes, and drink it sun-cold. Straight is classic; a splash of oat milk turns it into a 30-second iced latte.

Cold brew vs iced latte — which do you want?

Cold brew is the clean one: no milk, no sugar, endlessly refreshing, and the way to taste hojicha's roasted character most clearly. The iced hojicha latte is the creamy one: layered, dessert-like, Instagram's favorite. Keep a jar of cold brew in the fridge and you can make either in under a minute — cold brew + milk + ice is an instant latte.

Tips

• Scale the strength, not the time. Want it bolder? Use 3 teaspoons per liter. Longer steeping past overnight doesn't add much because the powder extracts fully.
• Drink within 3 days. It stays tasty, but fresh-made has the brightest roasted aroma.
• Loose leaf version: if you have hojicha loose leaf, steep 2 tablespoons in a liter of cold water overnight and strain. Powder skips the strainer and gives fuller body.
• Evening safe: cold extraction plus hojicha's naturally low caffeine makes this one of the gentlest caffeinated drinks there is — details in the caffeine guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long should hojicha cold brew steep?

With powder, 2 hours minimum, overnight for the roundest flavor. There's no bitterness risk — hojicha's roast means cold brewing is very forgiving.

Does cold brew hojicha have caffeine?

A little — it's real tea. Cold extraction plus hojicha's naturally low caffeine puts a glass among the gentlest options for caffeine-conscious drinkers. It is not caffeine-free.

Why does my cold brew settle at the bottom?

Because it's 100% milled tea leaf with no stabilizers or emulsifiers. A gentle shake before pouring brings it back together — that settling is the sign of a clean product.

Can I make cold brew hojicha sweet?

Sure — dissolve honey or simple syrup into the paste step (sweeteners don't dissolve well in cold water later), or serve it over ice with sweetened oat milk.