Bigg Matt's Hard Ice Tea

To Hell with Mike's flavored malt liquor.  Mine has a wonderful sweet lemon honey flavour balanced with earthy refreshing tea. Home Made Real Hard Iced Tea tastes better. It always taste right because it's just the way you like it.

Here is the recipe for 5 gallons:

• 20 quart (family) size tea bags of your favorite brand.


• 5 pounds of cane sugar.


• 1 pound of honey or your favorite natural sugar (optional).


• 1 bag of lemons. (optional)


• 1 pack ale yeast (I used the ready available Munton's)

Remove the zest from the lemons while avoiding the white pith. Squeeze the juice of the lemons in to a bowl. Discard pith.

Bring 2 gallons of water to a slow boil. Simmer tea bag for 20 minutes.

Add lemon juice and zest.

Remove from heat and stir in honey. Return to simmer.

Remove from heat and stir in 2 pounds of cane sugar. Return to simmer.

Poor 1 gallon cold distilled water in to 5 gallon carboy.

Pour tea into carboy.

Boil remaining cane sugar and add to carboy.

Top up to 5 gallons with cold distilled water.

Wait for tea to cool to room temperature.

Prepare yeast according to directions.

Pitch yeast into carboy.

Swirl air into the carboy for 15 minutes.

Attach air lock. Stoor until clear.