Mixers

Weak Black Tea

Weak black tea is an everyday black tea brewed lighter than for a cup and cooled, used to lengthen punches and iced tea drinks. It does the job of water while adding tannin for a drier finish, and like any tea it brings caffeine, about 75mg a cup by the NHS figure. Our recipes pour it in the Arnold Palmer, the John Daly and the Fish House Punch.

Quick Facts

ABV0% ABV

Legal categoryNon-alcoholic

OriginIndia, Sri Lanka, China (traditional black tea regions)

Flavour Strengthlight

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeBrewed: the same day, or 24 hours refrigerated.

Storage

Brew for the occasion; we keep it covered in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Weak Black Tea

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Light tanninSoft bitterness

Tasting Notes

Light tea with a drying tannin and no sweetness.

The weak part of a punch

The old rhyme gives a punch one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak, and the weak is the largest share. Water fills it, and tea fills it with tannin, the same drying grip red wine has, which keeps sugar and fruit from tasting flabby over a long evening. It also brings caffeine: the NHS puts a cup of black tea at 75mg.

Black tea in our recipes

Arnold Palmer

Tea: Black, unsweetened
Measure: 135ml
Brew: A little lighter than a cup, cooled fast
With: 45ml still lemonade

John Daly

Tea: Black
Measure: 135ml
Brew: Lighter than a cup, cooled fast
With: 45ml vodka, 45ml lemonade

Fish House Punch

Tea: Weak black
Measure: 60ml a drink; 600ml a bowl
Brew: Weak, cooled
With: Dark rum, cognac, peach liqueur, lemon

Tropical Punch, tea variation

Tea: Earl Grey
Measure: 200ml a bowl
Brew: Cold-brewed six to eight hours
With: Aged and white rum, juices

Drink	Tea	Measure	Brew	With
Arnold Palmer	Black, unsweetened	135ml	A little lighter than a cup, cooled fast	45ml still lemonade
John Daly	Black	135ml	Lighter than a cup, cooled fast	45ml vodka, 45ml lemonade
Fish House Punch	Weak black	60ml a drink; 600ml a bowl	Weak, cooled	Dark rum, cognac, peach liqueur, lemon
Tropical Punch, tea variation	Earl Grey	200ml a bowl	Cold-brewed six to eight hours	Aged and white rum, juices

Brew it light and cool it fast

Brew at about half drinking strength, take the leaves out on time, and cool the tea quickly in a wide jug before chilling it. Too hot or too long, and the tea turns harsh; cooled slowly, strong tea clouds. The John Daly and Arnold Palmer both brew a little lighter than for a hot cup and pour 135ml over ice.

In the bowl it does the work of water

The Fish House Punch uses 60ml of cold weak tea a drink, 600ml for a bowl of about twelve cups, rested an hour over one large block of ice. The tea variation of the Tropical Punch steeps Earl Grey cold for six to eight hours, so it goes into the bowl already chilled.

Plain tea unless the recipe says otherwise

An everyday breakfast blend, Ceylon or Assam suits the lemonade drinks; smoky teas dominate them. Perfumed teas work where the recipe asks for them, such as bergamot against orange and lime in a fruit punch. Brew for the day: covered in the fridge, brewed tea keeps 24 hours at most.

Using it

Using Weak Black Tea

Usage

At 135ml, brewed a little lighter than for a hot cup and chilled, in the Arnold Palmer and the John Daly; 60ml in one Fish House Punch, or 600ml for a bowl of about twelve cups. Take the leaves out on time and cool it completely before it meets ice.

Pro Tip

Brew the tea for a bowl before anything else and get it into the fridge. Warm tea poured over a block of ice melts it early and leaves the punch thin before the first ladle.

Top Tips

Brew it at about half the strength you would drink. Its bitterness is multiplied by the volume in the glass.
Cool it fast in a wide jug, then chill it. Strong tea left to cool slowly turns cloudy and harsh.
Use a plain breakfast blend, Ceylon or Assam. Smoky teas take over a lemonade drink.
Make it the same day. Brewed tea keeps 24 hours at most in the fridge.

Possible Substitutions

Water: Cleaner and lighter, without the tannin
Earl Grey Tea: Cold-brewed: bergamot alongside the tannin, for fruit punches

Production Method

Black tea brewed briefly, at about half the strength of a drinking cup, then cooled and chilled before mixing.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Why do punch recipes use tea?

Because the long part of a punch is the largest share of the bowl, and tea brings something water does not: tannin, which gives a drink of sugar and fruit a drier finish and a little grip. The old punch rhyme calls it the weak, after sour, sweet and strong.

How weak should the tea be?

About half the strength of a drinking cup, or for iced tea drinks a little lighter than for a hot cup, as our Arnold Palmer and John Daly say. It makes up a large share of the glass, so any harshness from over-brewing shows across the whole drink.

Hot-brewed or cold-brewed tea for punch?

Either, if hot tea is cooled fully before it meets ice. Cold brew, tea steeped in cold water in the fridge for hours, arrives chilled and less bitter; the tea variation of our Tropical Punch uses it. Hot tea poured warm into a bowl melts the ice and over-dilutes.

How much caffeine is in iced tea drinks?

About what is in the tea. The NHS puts a cup of black or green tea at 75mg, and a weak brew carries less; a 135ml pour in an Arnold Palmer is less than a full mug. Decaffeinated black tea works the same way in every recipe.

Why does iced tea go cloudy?

Strong tea cooled slowly tends to cloud as its compounds come out of solution in the cold. Brewing weaker and cooling quickly keeps it clearer, which is what our John Daly asks for. Cloudiness does no harm, but a strong cloudy tea also tastes harsher.

Which tea should I use?

An everyday black tea with nothing added: a breakfast blend, Ceylon or Assam. Smoky teas take over a lemonade drink. Earl Grey suits a fruit punch, where its bergamot meets the orange and lime, and the tea variation of our Tropical Punch uses it cold-brewed.

How long does brewed tea keep?

Use it the same day, or within 24 hours if covered and refrigerated. Brewed tea goes flat and bitter as it stands, and a punch shows it. Brew for the occasion, and cool it before it goes in the fridge.

Make something

Made with Weak Black Tea

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John Daly Arnold Palmer Fish House Punch The Expedition Punch

Often Used With

Updated 17 October 2026

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