How Long Can You Keep Brewed Tea? | Storing a Batch and When to Finish It

Store brewed tea in the refrigerator and finish it between the same day and the next — that is the answer. Do not leave it at room temperature. Tea made without preservatives is best brewed on the understanding that it is not meant to keep.

"It felt wasteful to pour it away, so I spread it out over about a week — and it upset my stomach. Drinking it within three days seems like the way to go." — a voice from a Rakuten review, left by a customer who enjoys our Vetiver Tea.

Brewed tea is close to fresh food

This is where the habits of bottled tea can trip you up. Tea brewed at home is nothing like a sealed, sterilized beverage; it begins to change the moment it is made. Neither Inspice's Vetiver Tea nor our Chai contains any preservatives. Think of tea made from plants in their natural state as something close to fresh food.

Three rules for making tea ahead

First, refrigerate it soon after it has cooled slightly. The longer it sits at room temperature, the faster it declines. Second, use a clean vessel. Avoid bottles that have not been washed and dried, or containers with residue left inside. Third, finish it between the same day and the next. When the aroma and flavor start to fade, that is your cue to stop. Everyone's body is different, so when in doubt, don't drink it. Your health matters more than the waste.

On days when you brew a big batch

Getting a generous amount out of one tea bag is a joy — until you can't finish it, and the joy turns into waste. There are three ways out. Share it with family or colleagues. Pour it over a glass packed with ice and enjoy it cold. Or, simplest of all, brew only what you will drink that day. Making tea ahead is convenient, but it never beats the aroma of a freshly brewed cup.

A reply from Inspice

To the customer who left this review: it was clear how carefully you had been drinking our tea, and we felt apology and gratitude at once. "Within three days" is a helpful rule of thumb, but we lean further toward the safe side and recommend refrigerating it and finishing it between the same day and the next. We use no preservatives because we have decided to compete on freshness, not shelf life. We hope you will keep enjoying it, one freshly brewed cup at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How long does brewed tea keep?
A. Store it in the refrigerator and finish it between the same day and the next. Tea made without preservatives is not suited to long storage.

Q. Is it fine to leave it at room temperature?
A. Please avoid it. The rule is to refrigerate it soon after it has cooled slightly.

Q. What about drinking it iced?
A. Pour it over a glass packed with ice and finish it the same day. If you do make it ahead, refrigerate it and finish it by the next day.