Cold-Brewed Aged Sheng with Cucumber and Mint
Long cold-brewed Sheng pu-erh meets cucumber and mint—a clean, slightly funky, deeply refreshing iced tea that drinks like a vegetal sauvignon blanc.
Cold-brewing transforms young Sheng. The astringency and sharp bitterness that can dominate hot brews disappear almost entirely; what's left is the tea's underlying sweetness, floral lift, and a curious wine-like funk that develops over a long, slow extraction.
If you have access to mid-aged Sheng (5–10 years), use it—the slight aging adds dried-fruit and honey notes that cold extraction draws out beautifully. But fresh young Sheng works too; it just leans more grassy and floral, like a chilled vegetal white wine.
Cucumber slices and a few sprigs of mint are the only flavorings you need. Both are cooling and clean, complementing Sheng's vegetal character without competing with it. Skip the sweetener entirely; this drink is meant to taste of the tea, not of sugar.
Plan ahead—the best cold brew takes 12 hours in the fridge. The slow extraction also yields a tea that's noticeably lower in caffeine and easier on the stomach, so you can sip it all afternoon without jitters.
Ingredients
- 8 g young or mid-aged Sheng pu-erh
- 1 liter cold filtered water
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 small handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1 strip of lime zest
- 1 tsp honey (optional)
- Ice cubes
How to make it
- 1Place Sheng leaves in a large jar or pitcher. Add cucumber slices, half the mint, and the lime zest.
- 2Pour cold filtered water over everything. Stir gently and cover.
- 3Refrigerate 10–12 hours.
- 4Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pitcher. If using honey, stir it in now.
- 5Serve over ice in tall glasses, garnished with fresh cucumber and the reserved mint leaves.
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