Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade

Refreshing iced tea and sweet lemonade come together in this Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade copycat drink. Recreate this summer classic at home in only 5 minutes!

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Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade

The Iced Black Tea Lemonade at Starbucks is their version of the Arnold Palmer drink. A black tea concentrate is diluted with lemonade then mixed with ice in a cocktail shaker. Everything is then poured into a cup. The drink is sweetened by the lemonade.

Note from Jee

Starbucks uses a black tea concentrate, but the tastiest way to recreate the drink at home is to brew hot tea then cool it down quickly with ice.

I tested this recipe using the pre-made Tazo’s iced tea concentrate but the taste was horrible so I recommend brewing the tea yourself, which tasted great.

Recipe Summary

• This Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade copycat takes just 5 minutes to make, including the time to steep the tea.
• An iced tea concentrate is used at Starbucks, but my version is made by brewing hot tea using tea bags, then it’s quickly cooled with ice in a cocktail shaker.
• The recipe recreates a grande size (16 ounce) cup of Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade using 4 ingredients.

RELATED: Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea

Ingredient Notes

• Tazo Awake English Breakfast tea bags: Teavana’s Royal English Breakfast tea concentrate that Starbucks uses to make their iced tea isn’t available for purchase anywhere so I’m using Tazo’s Awake English Breakfast tea, which is very similar.
• Lemonade: Starbucks uses their own lemonade in this drink, which isn’t available for purchase. Use Simply Lemonade or Minute Maid Lemonade, which is what Starbucks stores use when they run out of their own branded lemonade.
• Water: If possible, use filtered water for a better tasting tea.
• Ice: Filtered water makes better tasting ice.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

My English Breakfast Tea Pick

This tea is very close to the black tea used at Starbucks.

BUY NOW

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Put tea bags and hot water into a teapot. Cover and steep. Use simmered water to steep tea instead of boiling hot water. Simmer water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting.

Step 2: Put lemonade, ice, and hot tea into a cocktail shaker.

Step 3: Shake the cocktail shaker a few times. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, use a large jar with a tight lid.

Step 4: Pour the drink, including the ice, into a cup.

Expert Tips

• If you don’t have English Breakfast tea, any black tea blend (Irish Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast, etc.), or just plain Assam tea will work.
• To use loose tea, replace the 2 tea bags with 1 heaping tablespoon of English breakfast tea.
• Starbucks doesn’t sweeten their Black Iced Tea since their lemonade is already sweetened. If you want to make yours sweeter, use a simple syrup or a flavored syrup. It mixes easier into a cold drink than regular sugar.
• The more you shake the iced tea, the more foam you’ll see on the surface. If you like a lot of foam, shake it 40 times.

RELATED: Every Starbucks Tea Drink Ranked by Caffeine Content

Related

• Starbucks Iced Green Tea Lemonade
• Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte
• Starbucks Matcha Lemonade
• Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
• Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade

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4.80 from 5 votes

Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade

By: Jee Choe

Recreate this summer classic iced tea drink at home in only 5 minutes!

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Yield: 1 serving (16 ounces)

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup hot water
• ▢ 2 tea bags Tazo Awake English Breakfast tea
• ▢ ½ cup lemonade
• ▢ 1 ½ cups ice

Instructions 

• Put tea bags and hot water into a teapot.

  Use simmered water to steep tea instead of boiling hot water. Simmer water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set the water temperature to 190°F when using the electric kettle.
  2 tea bags Tazo Awake English Breakfast tea, ½ cup hot water
• Cover and steep for 3 minutes. Discard tea bags.

  Steeping for longer may make your green tea bitter.
• Put lemonade, ice, and hot tea into a cocktail shaker. Shake 10 times.

  Put lemonade and ice in first, then the hot tea. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, use a large jar with a tight lid.
  ½ cup lemonade, 1 ½ cups ice
• Pour drink into a cup.

Notes

• If you don’t have English Breakfast tea, any black tea blend (Irish Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast, etc.), or just plain Assam tea will work.
• To use loose tea, replace the 2 tea bags with 1 heaping tablespoon of English Breakfast tea.
• Starbucks uses their own lemonade in this drink, which isn’t available for purchase. Use Simply Lemonade or Minute Maid Lemonade, which is what Starbucks stores use when they run out of their own branded lemonade.
• The more you shake the iced tea, the more foam you’ll see on the surface. If you like a lot of foam, keep shaking it, about 40 times.

Nutrition

Calories: 60Carbohydrates: 15gSodium: 31mgSugar: 14gCalcium: 14mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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