Blueberry Pie Tea: What's in It, How It Tastes, and How to Brew It Hot or Iced

Pie you can drink on the porch in August

It's the middle of a Kentucky August and nobody wants to turn on an oven. You still want that warm, jammy blueberry pie flavor, though. That's what our Blueberry Pie tea is for.

It's a green tea blend, so no heavy dessert weight and no sugar bomb. You get the smell and taste of blueberry pie filling on a light base. Poured over ice, it drinks like summer, and you never have to preheat anything.

Here's what's actually in the bag, what it tastes like, and the exact numbers to brew it right. No guessing on temperature or steep time.

What's actually in Blueberry Pie tea

Here's the real ingredient list. No mystery fillers.

• Green tea
• Apple pieces
• Blueberries
• Calendula petals
• Cornflower petals
• Butterfly pea flower
• Sunflower petals

That's it. The green tea is the backbone. It brews light and smooth instead of grassy or harsh, as long as you keep the water cool enough. More on that in a minute.

The blueberries and apple pieces do the pie work. Blueberry brings the berry. Apple brings a rounded natural sweetness, so the cup tastes like filling instead of tart raw fruit. You don't need to add sugar to get the dessert effect. The apple handles it.

The rest is looks and character. Calendula, cornflower, and sunflower petals make the dry blend genuinely pretty, all gold and blue and green in the bag. Butterfly pea flower is the fun one. It gives the tea a soft blue color that can shift toward purple when you add something acidic like lemon. More on that trick later.

Caffeine, in plain terms

Blueberry Pie is a green tea, so it has caffeine. We rate it medium. That's lighter than a black tea like our Mr. Tea's Southern Tea or our Irish Breakfast, but it isn't caffeine free. Good morning or early afternoon cup. If you want the same fruity thing with no caffeine for the evening, go to one of our herbal blends like Blackberry Orchard or Blueberry Maple Morning.

How it actually tastes

Here's the honest tasting note. Open the bag and the aroma hits first, and it hits hard in the best way. It smells like a blueberry pie cooling on a windowsill. Warm blueberry, a little sugar, a whisper of crust. That's not marketing. That's just what happens when you open the pouch.

In the cup, brewed right, you get jammy blueberry up front, a soft green tea base holding it together, and a clean sweet finish from the apple. It leans warm and cooked, like pie filling, rather than sharp and tart like a fresh-picked berry. There's a light floral touch at the very end from the petals.

Our customers put it better than we can.

Notice Amber's number. 180 degrees, three minutes. That's no accident. That's the sweet spot, and it's the whole game with a green tea blend.

How to brew it hot (the base recipe)

Even in August, some of you want a hot cup. Fair enough. Start here anyway, because the iced method builds on it.

The one rule that matters most: don't use boiling water on green tea. Boiling water scorches the leaf and pulls out bitterness. You want it hot, not violent.

• Leaf: 1 teaspoon per 8 ounce cup
• Water temperature: 175 to 180 degrees
• Steep time: 3 minutes
• Resteeps: yes, you can get a second cup out of the same leaf

No thermometer? Boil your kettle, then let it sit off the heat for 90 seconds to 2 minutes before pouring. That gets you close to 180. Or pour a splash of room temperature water in first, then top with just-boiled water.

Steep the full three minutes, strain out the leaf, and drink it as is. It's sweet enough that it doesn't need sugar. Leave the leaf in too long or use water that's too hot and green tea turns bitter, so watch the clock.

How to brew it iced (the Kentucky summer way)

This is what Blueberry Pie was born to do in August. Two solid methods, depending on how much time you've got.

Method 1: Hot brew over ice (fast)

The quick one, when you want iced tea in ten minutes.

• Double the leaf: 2 teaspoons per 8 ounces of water
• Brew at 180 degrees for 3 minutes, same as the hot recipe
• Fill your glass all the way with ice
• Pour the hot tea straight over the ice

You double the leaf because the ice melts and dilutes your tea. Brew it stronger up front and the final glass still tastes full. Skip that step and you get sad, watery blueberry water. Nobody wants that.

Method 2: Cold brew (easy and smooth)

This is our favorite for hot weather, and we sell a Cold Brew Gallon Bag of Blueberry Pie for it at $11.99. Cold brewing green tea makes a naturally sweet, smooth cup with almost no bitterness, because the cold water never has the heat to pull the harsh stuff out.

• Use about 1 tablespoon of leaf per 16 ounces of cold water, or drop the gallon bag straight into a gallon pitcher
• Fill with cold, filtered water
• Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours, or overnight
• Strain out the leaf, or lift out the bag, and serve over ice

Cold brew keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, though in a Louisville summer it rarely lasts that long. Make a full pitcher on Sunday and you're set for the week.

The color trick

The butterfly pea flower gives the tea a soft cool tint. Squeeze fresh lemon into your iced glass and the color shifts toward purple. It tastes bright and it looks like a magic trick. Kids love it. Adults pretend they don't and then order a second glass.

What to serve it with

Blueberry Pie leans dessert, so it pairs well with actual dessert or a light summer spread.

• Breakfast: lemon scones, blueberry muffins, or plain buttered toast. The tea does the jam for you.
• Afternoon: vanilla shortbread or a slice of pound cake. The green tea base keeps things from getting too heavy.
• Cookout dessert table: a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the iced version poured beside it. Blueberry pie a la mode, minus the oven.
• Cheese board: a mild goat cheese or brie. Fruit and cheese always get along.

If you love the whole fruity-dessert-in-a-glass idea, you're in the right neighborhood. Our caffeine free Cherry Berry Split tastes like an ice cream shop treat over ice, and Teaña Colada is pineapple and coconut for full beach mode. Both are herbal, so they're great for the evening after you've hit your caffeine limit.

Where to get it in Louisville

You can order any of our blends, Blueberry Pie included, from our online shop in four sizes. Small (12 cups, 30 grams) is $11.99, Medium (24 cups, 60 grams) is $21.99, Large (50 cups, 100 grams) is $34.99, and the Cold Brew Gallon Bag is $11.99. Just testing the waters? Start with the Small. Already your house tea? The Large is the better value.

Local to Louisville? Catch our mobile tea cart at markets and events around town. We pour both hot and iced, and iced Blueberry Pie is in the summer rotation. Planning a wedding, bridal shower, or event and want a tea bar that pours something more interesting than the usual pitcher? Head to our events page or get in touch and we'll build a menu with you.

Frequently asked questions

Does Blueberry Pie tea have caffeine?

Yes. It's built on green tea, so it has a medium caffeine level. Lighter than a black tea, but not caffeine free. Good for the morning or early afternoon. For an evening blueberry option with no caffeine, look at an herbal blend like Blackberry Orchard.

What temperature should I brew Blueberry Pie tea at?

Use water at 175 to 180 degrees, never boiling. Boiling water scorches green tea and makes it bitter. Steep one teaspoon per 8 ounce cup for 3 minutes. Making it iced? Double the leaf so the melting ice doesn't water it down.

Is Blueberry Pie tea sweet? Do I need to add sugar?

It tastes naturally sweet from the apple and blueberry, so most people drink it with no sugar. The flavor is jammy and dessert-like rather than tart. If you like your iced tea extra sweet, a touch of honey works, but try it plain first.

Can I cold brew Blueberry Pie tea?

Yes, and it's one of the best ways to drink it in summer. Use about a tablespoon of leaf per 16 ounces of cold water, or use our Cold Brew Gallon Bag, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Cold brewing green tea gives you a smooth, sweet cup with almost no bitterness.

What does Blueberry Pie tea taste like?

Warm blueberry pie filling with a soft green tea base and a clean, lightly sweet finish from the apple. The aroma out of the bag is the standout part. Customers regularly say it smells exactly like a pie fresh out of the oven.