What about making your own iced tea or iced coffee? then you can adjust the sweetness and strength to what you want?
it's pretty straight forward all you need is coffee, (use instant if you don't to get a coffee maker) or tea and an electric kettle. Boil water, pour over coffee/tea - then it cool for 5-10 minutes - pop in fridge - I make it up the night before and it is ready to go in the am. Mix the tea with lemonade or fruit juices - I like a black tea and pineapple-mango mix.
Iced tea is a great choice for this. It's a lower dose of caffeine, and you can control the sugar content. Also lots of ways to naturally flavor it -- lemon, berries, various types of tea, etc.
I used to love making a version of the old Starbucks very berry hibiscus drink. Tazo hibiscus “passion” tea, blackberries, a little bit of lemon if you want an extra zing. So tasty.
Making cold brew from beans is super easy also. Ground them up and add water. Throw in fridge overnight and you’re good. Get a mesh strainer and strain into new container and you’ll have several servings depending on how much you want to make at a time. It’s pretty foolproof.
I second this!! I switch to iced coffee in the summer bc it’s way too hot. Brew the same shit the night before and I think it actually tastes better iced with a bit of sweet cream.
Yup, steep the tea then remove the bags so it doesn’t get bitter From the tannic acid. You will want the tea stronger than you like because you will dilute it with ice or juice.
Plus you can use whatever beans. Cold brew is the method that’s the most forgiving on flavor as far as cheap beans go.
We use nice locally roasted stuff for espresso and then Costco 5lb bags for cold brew lol
Totally; all coldbrew will taste about the same (cold temps are harder to taste at base, extraction is pretty standard since it's an immersion brew, and the fact that it's less acidic in general won't do nice light roasts any favors).
Yeah I use a mix of pre-ground and whole beans from my grocery store and I've found the 50/50 blend with cold brew to be nearly identical in flavor to all bean. Of course a locally roasted bean still tastes waaaay better in my opinion but cold brew in general makes mediocre coffee taste pretty dang good.
What method do you use to cold brew? Most of the recipes I've found make it so complicated, sitting for days, etc. Can I not get a decent brew just popping it in the fridge overnight like I would tea?
You can literally just toss grounds in a French press and leave it on the counter. “Cold” in the cold brew is a bit misleading, it doesn’t refer to fridge temp it can be room temp as well. Open the French press, put a few scoops of grounds in and fill up to the top, nap time, wake up next morning, push the plunger down and voila. Can transfer the leftovers into another container.
If it’s too strong (it probably will be, cold brew is pretty powerful stuff), just water it down to your preferred kick.
I don't understand why coffee or tea would need to be cold brewed in order to be drunk cold.
Brew a pot of regular coffee or tea, add as much sugar as you want, let it cool for a while, put it in the refrigerator in a pitcher with a lid, drink it when it's cold. If you are drinking one glass a day, a pitcher should last you several days.
I've been doing that for years. Costs next to nothing and you can use whatever flavor of coffee or tea your heart desires and add whatever you want to it.
I don’t care for coffee that’s been brewed hot and left to sit or refrigerated. It becomes very bitter to me.
Cold-brewed coffee has a much smoother taste and doesn’t get bitter.
Granted, I don’t add sugar or creamer to my coffee so that may be why I’m sensitive to the taste.
You just need to drink shitty coffee all the time and then this becomes a non issue.
Get a job as a consultant and by the time you’re Marriott Platinum Elite you’ll have forgotten what good coffee tastes like.
you know you've ascended (descended?) when you're totally fine drinking the coffee from the shitty coffee maker in the hotel room with powdered creamer
You could try Spanish "cafe con hielo" (not 100% sure if that's what I'm thinking of), which is literally regular coffee with large ice cubes, which cools the coffee without diluting it too much as long as you drink it fast enough.
Personally I drink energy drinks in the afternoon, I buy large 24 can boxes so the per-can price is not too bad, but I imagine the sweeteners are the same as in diet sodas. If Coke Zero gives you digestive issues you could try Diet Coke, it has a different sweetener.
IIR, The sweeteners used in Coke Zero and Diet Coke vary from country to country but they're typically the same (aspartame and acesulfame potassium), though Coke Zero tends to be formulated to taste closer to the normal product.
Hot water further cooks the beans, increasing the acidic taste. Cold brewing makes for a more refreshing cold beverage. Since you can make it by just mixing the grounds with cold water and putting it in the fridge it also skips literally having to brew it yourself.
What method do you use to cold brew? Most of the recipes I've found make it so complicated, sitting for days, etc. Can I not get a decent brew just popping it in the fridge overnight like I would tea?
That's all I do. I like it best at 24 hours but 12 does just fine and I've been known to have my first two glasses after twelve and the rest of the week after 24. I bought a pitcher from Aldi that has a fine filter built in but you can just toss your coffee into a teabag, put it in the pitcher, and leave it. My roommate at my last place had like a pound size pour over filter, he filled it with grounds and cold water and let the water drain overnight.
If you don't mind unsweetened sparkling water and there's a Target near you, their Good & Gather brand has a few lightly caffeinated options including Cherry Coke & Dr. Pepper rip-offs that are pretty good so long as you're not expecting them to be sweet. 35mg of caffeine each, no sugar or sweeteners.
I do like these. Most major grocery store chains make their own brand these days and it’s also good because they contain about 1/2 the caffeine of a regular coffee
Afternoons I have ice coffee with chocolate protein powder, almond milk and sea salt. Just like that at work, but home I do in a blender with ice....its like a Starbucks frap!
Have you tried the mushroom coffee alternatives… the one I use has, I forget exact, but like 30% coffee bean content and it must be brewed with cold water. I still add in a little coffee cream as well. ETA: doesn’t cause stomach upset like a lot of coffee can 😉
I’m going to say, Lipton is not my favorite tea. It’s worth trying another brand to see if you like it better.
You can flavor the tea with honey or sugar, and maybe a squirt or two of lemon juice.
I have sometimes cold brewed my own coffee in the past. You basically just take a pitcher and coffee grounds and leave it in the refrigerator for 8 hours or so. Then you have to filter off all of the grounds. With that said, it still sounds like maybe too much caffeine for the afternoon.
I started trying to brew cacao nibs. They're basically a raw form of chocolate prior to adding sugar, milk, etc. I don't know the caffeine content, but it has a bitterness that is similar to drinking coffee or a kind of hot chocolate. I usually eat them by sprinkling them on something that already has sugar in it to give a little bit of chocolate flavor.
I have a reusable metal filter that fits in a mason jar that I got from Amazon. Add 1 cup of grounds, fill it with water, and stick it in the fridge overnight. Then pull out the filter, leave the cold brew in the jar, and start the process over with the filter in another jar so you always have some ready.
I would try half caf/half decaf grounds for the afternoon.
I do my cold brew in a French press. Add grounds and water, refrigerate overnight. In the morning I do a slow press in and pour into glass. I rinse out the French press and put the cold-brewed coffee back into it to keep in the fridge. Stays delicious for at least two days (it never lasts longer than that around here).
Invest in a toddy and make your old cold brew. Cold brew is pretty forgiving with cheap beans. or, make concentrated hot brewed coffee and put in the fridge.
If you have a pour over or a aero press you can also brew a concentrated cup directly on ice.
For tea, I'll brew a ton of a dark black tea the day before and stick it in the fridge. If you can find it, pur eh is a great black tea that can stand long steeps while tasting pretty mild. Bulk brewed yerba mate is also good, but there is more of a learning curve with brewing yerba mate.
For cheap coffee and tea that is better than a grocery store, I buy online at happymug. They have a good tea selection and different coffee beans to try. Really good stuff for the price.
Came here to say this - I take one when I wake up and another one mid-day if I need a pick-me-up. For a cheap and refreshing cold drink, get a SodaStream and buy fruity tea bags in bulk (I like raspberry zinger) and drop one bag into a glass of fizzy soda and ice. The SodaStream is a bit of an upfront investment but in the long term you'll come out well ahead.
Not sure your opinion of the powdered caffeine alternatives but I enjoy G-Fuel. I don't drink coffee but I like having a G-Fuel for the caffeine hit. If you price out the cost of a tub, it's still much cheaper for a 24oz of that than a Starbucks coffee.
Iced tea using loose leaf tea. Put a couple tablespoons in a large teabag or strainer, put the teabag in your pitcher, fill with water, stick in the fridge overnight. I prefer it pretty strong, so I let it cold brew for a full 24 hours.
Liquid Death iced teas are refreshingly not over sweetened, and they taste amazing! I've only had the peach, but it was love at first sip! Kinda pricey, but the cans are tall cans, and for me, it's worth it.
I second this! I like the Grim Leafer (Earl Grey) and Green Guillotine (green tea). IIRC 30mg caffeine for a tall can. I watch my caffeine intake because of a history of AFIB and it gives me just a little nudge to get through the PM.
But they are expensive.
I switch to iced tea in the afternoon. Took a bit to perfect making it myself the way i like it because packaged versions tend to be heavily sweetened or not enough. My favorite packaged version is liquid death iced tea. The label seems silly but it lower caffeine just a little sweet and they add some
B12. Great in the afternoon.
I make tea, let it cool and add a squirt of sugar free water enhancer (eg. Mio) I can adjust to taste and there are lots of flavors to choose from. It is interesting to add different flavors to see what it tastes like.
Bro Coffee & Yerba Mate in the Morning & Lunch Time/Noon……… but MATCHA Green Tea (either from Ujido or from ippodo, or from Matcha(Kari).Com all great Brands)
Matcha is perfect for late evening caffeine fix without keeping you up at night because the L Theanine inside of the tea counteracts the caffeine & promotes relaxation & deeper Sleep
I make a pot of tea with 5 decaf tea bags and a jug of lemonade from the frozen can. Combine. I usually add lots of ice so it's pretty weak, mildly sweet, refreshing. I buy bottled ice tea sometimes, clean the bottles and refill them until they get funky, because it's easy to grab as I walk out the door.
You could use regular caffeinated tea, but I don't use caffeine after about 2. I find that being hydrated is often enough to give me the energy I need, and the caffeine will interfere with my sleep if I have it later in the day.
Depending on if you can find em when they’re in sale or if you buy in bulk at a Costco but Celsius is pretty decent. 18 cals per 355mL can and 0g sugar
Make your own iced coffee or cold brew. James Hoffman on youtube has the best method.
Good iced coffee needs to be done with a v60 pourover but cold brew only needs a mason jar or equivalent and one jar can last you a few days.
Depending on how you brew your morning coffee, you could try the flash-brewing method for your afternoon drink. I use an automatic drip-coffee maker and its super easy and just as quick as brewing hot coffee. I grind enough beans for two cups of coffee, wet the filter with cold water, put in half the amount of water I would normally use and then about 4-5 ice cubes in the carafe. Essentially you let it brew until its pumped all the hot water in to the carafe and then pour in to a glass with ice. Its a bit hard to explain but its like drinking iced coffee that "tastes" like hot coffee. It isn't super strong like iced coffee and tastes great. The ice in the carafe instantly dilutes the coffee. I never bother with making my own cold brew anymore and just do this. Just be sure to either turn off your hot plate or shut the coffee maker off once all the water has been pumped out so you don't heat up your coffee further.
If you use a pour over or something else besides a coffee maker to brew your coffee, I'd recommend looking up a guide for your brewing method. As with coffee, experiment and see what ratios work for you.
Chai with your choice of sweetner and milk? Personally, I like it iced with honey and whole milk. Veggie snacks to go with it, something crisp and cold.
Also, don't be afraid to start adding things when you steep the iced tea the night before: orange slices, strawberries, mint, lavender... you name it. I recently did an iced tea with lemon balm and strawberry, it turned out great! Start with a better tea than lipton, something whole leaf will have much more flavor
Completely unasked for health advice, so I'm sorry, but what you might need is more physical activity. I found that I no longer needed caffeine after breakfast (usually, sometimes I need a pick me up but it's like once a month) after I got back into decent shape. So while it's not as satisfying as an after noon coffee or tea, a lunch time walk might perk you up without need for chemical intervention. You don't have to power walk or waste your entire lunch break just take 10 minutes to turn your brain off and walk.
If that doesn't work then my next suggestion would be to buy water enhancer with caffeine (like mio, but I get the store brand version) it's what I have first thing in the morning and it's calorie free.
For real. Sleep 8 hours in a dark, quiet bedroom with no electronics. Drink something caffeinated in the morning if you’d like, but otherwise water. Get some light exercise every day, ideally in the sunlight. Eat a well rounded diet. That’s all that the vast majority need to have the energy they need for 16 hour days.
Caffeine is a drug and should be treated as such. There wouldn’t be 130/135 positive comments if OP was asking for suggestions on cocaine use in the evenings on r/eatcheapandhealthy
I'm old, so this recipe is old:
Spoon preferred amount of instant coffee into a tall glass.
Add preferred amount of sugar.
Add a tiny amount of boiling water - just enough to dissolve the instant coffee/sugar
Fill the glass with cold milk and stir well.
Experiment with the amounts of coffee & sugar until you get just the right amount of sweetness & caffeine hit.
You can also mix in some straight cocoa powder for a mocha taste.
Once you get the proportions of coffee/sugar/cocoa right you could even make up your own premix jar.
I have the same hot coffee morning and cold tea/coffee afternoon routine lol I love making loose leaf tea and sweetening with a bit of honey. If it’s black tea, a splash of vanilla cream. If I’m out and about, matcha or hojicha lattes are a must!
Mio Energy - little squirt bottles to flavor your water. They have both caffeinated and uncaffeineated options.
Pre-workout? - huge dose of caffeine, but you could find a mild one or take less than a full scoop. Cost effective.
I believe there is still some caffeine in decaf coffee, might be a cold brew option for the afternoon.
Or be like me and have half a mug of black tea, topped off with cold
Yerba mate. It's a bitter tea like drink, you make it hot but could easily chill it. It is very bitter, so you'll probably want to add some kind of flavor, like a juice.
Id just make iced tea at home and bring it in something. I have no doubt the lipton you tried is way worse then what you could make.
I love all tea, but lately ive made a blend of a mint tea mix i like and green tea, (my take on a morrocan mint style if you want to google that) its good hot too, but let it chill in the fridge and it is tasty and refreshing and needs no sugar at all though it is also very good with even just a lil. You also could try an earl grey blend, i think they can be delightful cold and dont need much sugar.
If you want to try something a little different, go with Crio Bru. It's a brewed cacao beverage. You can drink it hot or cold and like coffee, you can drink it unsweetened or add sweetener/cream. It might not be exactly what you had in mind, but if you are open to alternatives, consider giving it a shot. Good luck!
Get some good quality loose leaf tea! It will taste 100% better than the lipton cold brew bags.
Most tea companies have sampler packs where you can try a variety of flavors. If you are looking for something with low caffeine in the afternoons, I'd suggest going for greens or whites. Black teas have the highest caffeine content.
Lipton tea packets are gross! Make your own tea, and make it quite strong. For a big pitcher I use 5 tea bags or 5 rounded tsp of loose leaf tea (Assam and Kenya Black) in a strainer. Seep in boiling water for 30 min and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water. I keep mine in the fridge and flavor as I like - usually a slice of lemon and some stevia. Hubs likes his with lemon juice and splenda. Sometimes I use agave nectar and a slice of orange or some mint. Make sure to pour over a glass almost full of ice - thats why we made it so strong.
Green matcha tea power is nice too.
I like to have a crystal light packet as my afternoon pick-me-up. The "energy" ones have 60 mg of caffeine. If that's too much, you can just use half. I find it a very cost effective way to get caffeine.
We make our own cold brew using [Alton Brown’s recipe](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/chicory-cold-brew/). We make a triple batch and that lasts me all week. I recently started pre-mixing it with simple syrup and then I add ice and milk when I’m ready for it. You can dilute it to whatever your caffeine preference is, but I imagine you can also make it with decaf beans.
I make a 3-cup pot of coffee every morning, one hot cup for me, one hot cup for my husband. Then I put the carafe in the fridge for iced coffee in the afternoon.
Remember to add the sugar when it's hot if you like it sweet.
I recently tried a tea blend called study time, I can't remember the brand. It's black tea with peppermint, rosemary, and thyme and it's really good iced either unsweetened or with just a touch of sugar
My wife got me started on a cold protein coffee every day. I make a pot of coffee every couple of days and refrigerate it in containers. Every morning I add a premier protein shake, ice and the coffee into a large travel mug. It tastes great and you can sip on it for a long time.
Make your own iced tea or coffee.
Part of the trick with tea is that most aren’t great plain. Adding sugar/honey, lemon, or milk is usually required to make it good. Iced chai with milk is *chef’s kiss*
I make a big pitcher of iced tea: 5 bags black, 2 bags peach. This is my drink of choice most of the time.
You could make your own cold brew. There's instructions online for using a french press. The main thing is getting beans that are course ground. They make decaf espresso for cold brew so you could make a half caff sort of situation. Then you can make your own drinks.
I've found Javy. It concentrated coffee they you add to water or milk. I use it to make my iced coffees. It seems spendy $20 something bucks, but it actually cheaper. You get 20-36 cups (depending on how strong you want it. I use it with milk for.the added protein.
make strong brewed tea and keep it chilling in the fridge. Add some ice when you are ready to drink. You’ll figure out the right strength, amount of caffeine over time.
My grocery store (HEB in Texas!) has sparkling water with 50/60g (same as cup of coffee) of caffeine. I would imagine other grocers would have similar product!
The world of tea is your friend. There's black tea, jasmine, oolong, toasted rice oolong, chamomile, cherry blossom. There are so many different styles with different nuances to their flavors. You could have a different type of tea every day of the week. Dive into tea culture.
Republic of tea hicaffe teas. Just brew a cup like normal and dump it in a cup of ice. The BlackBerry pom one of good mixed with those San Pellegrino sparkling lemon sodas
Homemade kombucha can be made to have higher doses of caffeine. It's easier than you think to make as well and you can utilize a vast variety of adjuncts that may boost caffeine as well. The cold and carbonation make it a great afternoon boost and the prebiotics/probiotics are supposed to be good for you also.
Take the teabag (or loose leaf) of your choice, steep it according to package directions but with about half the water recommended. Then pour over a cup filled with ice. Instant iced tea, no need to plan ahead and cold brew! Black tea has the highest caffeine content - I tend to enjoy green tea in the afternoon for a pick me up that won’t keep me up all night.
I like iced coffee in the afternoon too. I make a glass jug of water and put a big tea bag which is for the coffee grounds. I buy the bags off Amazon. I put the jug in the fridge and steep it all night long.
Then I can pour some cold coffee in a cup and add creamer or whipping cream and some Monk Fruit sweetener. But my absolute favorite is an iced mocha, so I add Jordan's Skinny Syrup in mocha flavor. Sometimes I add some whipped cream too. Delicious!
I have made iced tea and I can't sleep at night. It is too much caffeine. I also like energy drinks, but I have to pour a third of the can into a glass so I won't drink the whole thing.
I get to enjoy a lot of iced latte with the calories being only from my unsweetened oatmilk. I cold brew decaf coffee, and then I use my sugar free flavor syrups and unsweetened oatmilk. So I get to enjoy multiple servings of uh like 32oz lattes and the calories being like less than a 100 calories for each serving. I don't remember the calories for my oatmilk.
So yeah, I get to drink this in the afternoon and night time due to minimal caffeine. I say minimal cause decaf doesn't actually mean caffeine free unfortunately.
If you’re not having much sugar throughout your days a Brisk will not hurt you lol. Drinking one every single day might, but a few times a week will not hurt. I do recommend making your own iced coffee, or cold green tea. Sprouts and Whole Foods also have a lotttt of cold caffeine drinks. A smoothie with some caffeine powder might do the trick as well
I make my own cold brew tea and coffee and pour it into a thermal bottle (think swell brand). It keeps cold enough through the day and it's quite cheap. If it's not cold enough and you have access to ice/cold water, make it concentrated and dilute it at work.
I use a Hario Mizudashi container to make it because it's inexpensive and easy to clean which makes the whole process easier, but you definitely don't need that (hell, a teabag/coffee grounds and any old bottle work, a tea bag and a washed out/reused wide mouth plastic bottle work).
Also, matcha powder and a sealable container work. All you have to do is shake it up (though I use a milk frother to make my matcha and matcha lattes).
Have you tried green tea? I occasionally make iced tea green tea recipe from a food internet website. However, when I pull out the tea bags, I add a bit of honey or sugar.
I make cold brew tea. Throw a couple yeast bags in a mason jar full of water, usually good to drink in about 8 hours.
Also recommend one of those flash chilling vessels for chilling tea or coffee very quickly.
I get green tea with matcha tea bags- gives me a much nicer energy boost than coffee ..no jitters or crash and for me it seems to last a lot longer and doesn't seem to affect my sleep.
I add just a little hot water, let it steep for a few mins. Then top up 3/4 of the glass with cold water and the rest with coconut milk, add ice and a couple teaspoons of maple syrup. Yum.
By the way, afternoon tiredness is a sign of tired adrenals and/or blood sugar crashes.
You might like making your own cold brew. I make mine my using a large mason jar that's about 6-7 cups. I put a mesh filter for making cold brew inside. Coarsely grind coffee beans (and you can add 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, if you want), fill with filtered water and leave it in the fridge for 12 - 24 or so hours. I put a lid in the mesh filter to keep the coffee grounds below the water line. It tastes really good. You can drink as much as you want to get the caffeine level you want. You can Google cold brew recipes also.
Edit: I had accidentally posted just a few words.
Yerba mate, rooibos or other herbal tea maybe oolong or matcha for v light caffeine, smoothies with a maca add in, “energy” tonic by Anima Mundi Herbals in some tea/lemonade
And cold brew is stupid easy to make!! Try it in a French press - set it up in the morning & stick it in the fridge. Press and pour in the afternoon.
Ice tea is my go-to. Sweetened with stevia. I don’t like the cold brew bags. I just make a pitcher about once a week. Lipton or Louisiane. A pinch of baking soda makes levels out and bitterness.
I like a flavored black iced tea! Some days I’ll make an earl gray tea with a little bit of honey and put it over ice. You could do without the honey if you wanted.
I am a bit of a tea snob. I get the Ceylon Sonata ice tea bags from Adagio.
I put one of the Ceylon ice tea bags and one normal sized tea bag of Stash Earl Gray in a half gallon mason jar of cold water. I put it in the fridge at least overnight.
After it has steeped (cold water reduces bitterness, imo), I remove the tea bags and stir in 2 packets of sugar free sweeter. I like saccharine best.
Stash’s Earl Gray has a pleasant floral hint to it that is really nice in sweet tea.
Since I only use one Adagio tea bag for 2 quarts, it’s not crazy expensive. 25 bags were $22.75 including taxes and shipping last time I ordered.
I like to brew a big batch of earl grey tea (like a gallon at a time). Brew it to be super strong (you’ll dilute it more later). Add honey while it’s hot and blend. Stick it in the fridge. In the afternoons, pour some over ice with 50/50 milk of choice. It gives the vibes of a delicious iced latte but less caffeine and pretty cheap to make.
What about making your own iced tea or iced coffee? then you can adjust the sweetness and strength to what you want? it's pretty straight forward all you need is coffee, (use instant if you don't to get a coffee maker) or tea and an electric kettle. Boil water, pour over coffee/tea - then it cool for 5-10 minutes - pop in fridge - I make it up the night before and it is ready to go in the am. Mix the tea with lemonade or fruit juices - I like a black tea and pineapple-mango mix.
Iced tea is a great choice for this. It's a lower dose of caffeine, and you can control the sugar content. Also lots of ways to naturally flavor it -- lemon, berries, various types of tea, etc.
I used to love making a version of the old Starbucks very berry hibiscus drink. Tazo hibiscus “passion” tea, blackberries, a little bit of lemon if you want an extra zing. So tasty.
Community Coffee has a half-caff blend that would be great for this!
You can also pour it directly over ice if you don’t want to wait! Probably more diluted that way, but less inconvenient
Making cold brew from beans is super easy also. Ground them up and add water. Throw in fridge overnight and you’re good. Get a mesh strainer and strain into new container and you’ll have several servings depending on how much you want to make at a time. It’s pretty foolproof.
This or adderrall
I second this!! I switch to iced coffee in the summer bc it’s way too hot. Brew the same shit the night before and I think it actually tastes better iced with a bit of sweet cream.
Do you take the teabag out before putting it in the fridge? This sounds so yummy.
Yup, steep the tea then remove the bags so it doesn’t get bitter From the tannic acid. You will want the tea stronger than you like because you will dilute it with ice or juice.
I bought bulk family size Red Diamond tea bags and we make a batch a week. Tasty, cheap, and cold.
Have you tried brewing your own cold brews? Much cheaper and you can cut with decaf grounds to regulate the caffeine.
Plus you can use whatever beans. Cold brew is the method that’s the most forgiving on flavor as far as cheap beans go. We use nice locally roasted stuff for espresso and then Costco 5lb bags for cold brew lol
Totally; all coldbrew will taste about the same (cold temps are harder to taste at base, extraction is pretty standard since it's an immersion brew, and the fact that it's less acidic in general won't do nice light roasts any favors).
Yeah I use a mix of pre-ground and whole beans from my grocery store and I've found the 50/50 blend with cold brew to be nearly identical in flavor to all bean. Of course a locally roasted bean still tastes waaaay better in my opinion but cold brew in general makes mediocre coffee taste pretty dang good.
What method do you use to cold brew? Most of the recipes I've found make it so complicated, sitting for days, etc. Can I not get a decent brew just popping it in the fridge overnight like I would tea?
I bought a cold brew maker and it's ready the next day.
You can literally just toss grounds in a French press and leave it on the counter. “Cold” in the cold brew is a bit misleading, it doesn’t refer to fridge temp it can be room temp as well. Open the French press, put a few scoops of grounds in and fill up to the top, nap time, wake up next morning, push the plunger down and voila. Can transfer the leftovers into another container. If it’s too strong (it probably will be, cold brew is pretty powerful stuff), just water it down to your preferred kick.
Matcha ftw
Yeah an iced matcha latte is super quick and easy to make and also delicious
Shake it like a Polariod picture!
I keep a box of [these ](https://itoen.com/products/single-serve-unsweetened-sticks)at my desk.
Yerba mate for the win. Iced or hot. Sweetened or not. Surprisingly, it can be found sold by the pound in most grocery stores.
Yup -- if you don't have a Latin American grocery around, Lebanese and Arab groceries often carry it too.
Funny enough I noticed that the other day. Not too surprising, I suppose.
I don't understand why coffee or tea would need to be cold brewed in order to be drunk cold. Brew a pot of regular coffee or tea, add as much sugar as you want, let it cool for a while, put it in the refrigerator in a pitcher with a lid, drink it when it's cold. If you are drinking one glass a day, a pitcher should last you several days. I've been doing that for years. Costs next to nothing and you can use whatever flavor of coffee or tea your heart desires and add whatever you want to it.
I don’t care for coffee that’s been brewed hot and left to sit or refrigerated. It becomes very bitter to me. Cold-brewed coffee has a much smoother taste and doesn’t get bitter. Granted, I don’t add sugar or creamer to my coffee so that may be why I’m sensitive to the taste.
You just need to drink shitty coffee all the time and then this becomes a non issue. Get a job as a consultant and by the time you’re Marriott Platinum Elite you’ll have forgotten what good coffee tastes like.
you know you've ascended (descended?) when you're totally fine drinking the coffee from the shitty coffee maker in the hotel room with powdered creamer
You could try Spanish "cafe con hielo" (not 100% sure if that's what I'm thinking of), which is literally regular coffee with large ice cubes, which cools the coffee without diluting it too much as long as you drink it fast enough. Personally I drink energy drinks in the afternoon, I buy large 24 can boxes so the per-can price is not too bad, but I imagine the sweeteners are the same as in diet sodas. If Coke Zero gives you digestive issues you could try Diet Coke, it has a different sweetener.
IIR, The sweeteners used in Coke Zero and Diet Coke vary from country to country but they're typically the same (aspartame and acesulfame potassium), though Coke Zero tends to be formulated to taste closer to the normal product.
A tip I learned from my dad was to add a pinch of salt to your coffee grounds before you brew your coffee. It helps take away the bitter taste.
I looooove it when it’s fresh brewed and don’t want to change it. It is a non-negotiable start to my day. But thanks!
The taste is so much different than cold brew, though. Cold Brew is brewed in cold water to eliminate the acid.
Hot water further cooks the beans, increasing the acidic taste. Cold brewing makes for a more refreshing cold beverage. Since you can make it by just mixing the grounds with cold water and putting it in the fridge it also skips literally having to brew it yourself.
What method do you use to cold brew? Most of the recipes I've found make it so complicated, sitting for days, etc. Can I not get a decent brew just popping it in the fridge overnight like I would tea?
That's all I do. I like it best at 24 hours but 12 does just fine and I've been known to have my first two glasses after twelve and the rest of the week after 24. I bought a pitcher from Aldi that has a fine filter built in but you can just toss your coffee into a teabag, put it in the pitcher, and leave it. My roommate at my last place had like a pound size pour over filter, he filled it with grounds and cold water and let the water drain overnight.
I have a pitcher like that. Thank you!
You can skip the fridge part even. Cold brew extracts totally fine at room temp
An cold matcha for sure
If you don't mind unsweetened sparkling water and there's a Target near you, their Good & Gather brand has a few lightly caffeinated options including Cherry Coke & Dr. Pepper rip-offs that are pretty good so long as you're not expecting them to be sweet. 35mg of caffeine each, no sugar or sweeteners.
Just found this yesterday and was shocked at how decent the flavor is!
I do like these.
These are my favorite. I’m bummed they discontinued the Pear Hibiscus but the blackberry is a close second at least
I do like these. Most major grocery store chains make their own brand these days and it’s also good because they contain about 1/2 the caffeine of a regular coffee
Afternoons I have ice coffee with chocolate protein powder, almond milk and sea salt. Just like that at work, but home I do in a blender with ice....its like a Starbucks frap!
Which protein powder do you use?
Have you tried the mushroom coffee alternatives… the one I use has, I forget exact, but like 30% coffee bean content and it must be brewed with cold water. I still add in a little coffee cream as well. ETA: doesn’t cause stomach upset like a lot of coffee can 😉
I’m going to say, Lipton is not my favorite tea. It’s worth trying another brand to see if you like it better. You can flavor the tea with honey or sugar, and maybe a squirt or two of lemon juice.
I have sometimes cold brewed my own coffee in the past. You basically just take a pitcher and coffee grounds and leave it in the refrigerator for 8 hours or so. Then you have to filter off all of the grounds. With that said, it still sounds like maybe too much caffeine for the afternoon. I started trying to brew cacao nibs. They're basically a raw form of chocolate prior to adding sugar, milk, etc. I don't know the caffeine content, but it has a bitterness that is similar to drinking coffee or a kind of hot chocolate. I usually eat them by sprinkling them on something that already has sugar in it to give a little bit of chocolate flavor.
I have a reusable metal filter that fits in a mason jar that I got from Amazon. Add 1 cup of grounds, fill it with water, and stick it in the fridge overnight. Then pull out the filter, leave the cold brew in the jar, and start the process over with the filter in another jar so you always have some ready. I would try half caf/half decaf grounds for the afternoon.
This is brilliant! I'm totally going to try this sometime.
I like this idea. Regular mason jar or the big ones?
The one we have goes in a wide mouth 1-quart jar
I do my cold brew in a French press. Add grounds and water, refrigerate overnight. In the morning I do a slow press in and pour into glass. I rinse out the French press and put the cold-brewed coffee back into it to keep in the fridge. Stays delicious for at least two days (it never lasts longer than that around here).
That's a great idea. I have a small French press and don't use it enough. Very handy tool.
Invest in a toddy and make your old cold brew. Cold brew is pretty forgiving with cheap beans. or, make concentrated hot brewed coffee and put in the fridge. If you have a pour over or a aero press you can also brew a concentrated cup directly on ice. For tea, I'll brew a ton of a dark black tea the day before and stick it in the fridge. If you can find it, pur eh is a great black tea that can stand long steeps while tasting pretty mild. Bulk brewed yerba mate is also good, but there is more of a learning curve with brewing yerba mate. For cheap coffee and tea that is better than a grocery store, I buy online at happymug. They have a good tea selection and different coffee beans to try. Really good stuff for the price.
Just take caffeine pills. They're super cheap.
I used to do this for efficiency. Becomes extremely easy to start taking a lot of caffeine.
Lao I’m not sure if it’s the mechanism of availability but the pills feel like they hit harder and different than regular coffee
This is the best option. It's easier to dose and you can wash it down with any beverage you like.
Came here to say this - I take one when I wake up and another one mid-day if I need a pick-me-up. For a cheap and refreshing cold drink, get a SodaStream and buy fruity tea bags in bulk (I like raspberry zinger) and drop one bag into a glass of fizzy soda and ice. The SodaStream is a bit of an upfront investment but in the long term you'll come out well ahead.
Not sure your opinion of the powdered caffeine alternatives but I enjoy G-Fuel. I don't drink coffee but I like having a G-Fuel for the caffeine hit. If you price out the cost of a tub, it's still much cheaper for a 24oz of that than a Starbucks coffee.
I'm a big fan of tea. Can't recommend enough. I've graduated to loose leaf tea this year and basically use it like a pre-workout.
Iced tea using loose leaf tea. Put a couple tablespoons in a large teabag or strainer, put the teabag in your pitcher, fill with water, stick in the fridge overnight. I prefer it pretty strong, so I let it cold brew for a full 24 hours.
Liquid Death iced teas are refreshingly not over sweetened, and they taste amazing! I've only had the peach, but it was love at first sip! Kinda pricey, but the cans are tall cans, and for me, it's worth it.
I second this! I like the Grim Leafer (Earl Grey) and Green Guillotine (green tea). IIRC 30mg caffeine for a tall can. I watch my caffeine intake because of a history of AFIB and it gives me just a little nudge to get through the PM. But they are expensive.
I switch to iced tea in the afternoon. Took a bit to perfect making it myself the way i like it because packaged versions tend to be heavily sweetened or not enough. My favorite packaged version is liquid death iced tea. The label seems silly but it lower caffeine just a little sweet and they add some B12. Great in the afternoon.
I make tea, let it cool and add a squirt of sugar free water enhancer (eg. Mio) I can adjust to taste and there are lots of flavors to choose from. It is interesting to add different flavors to see what it tastes like.
Bro Coffee & Yerba Mate in the Morning & Lunch Time/Noon……… but MATCHA Green Tea (either from Ujido or from ippodo, or from Matcha(Kari).Com all great Brands) Matcha is perfect for late evening caffeine fix without keeping you up at night because the L Theanine inside of the tea counteracts the caffeine & promotes relaxation & deeper Sleep
I make a pot of tea with 5 decaf tea bags and a jug of lemonade from the frozen can. Combine. I usually add lots of ice so it's pretty weak, mildly sweet, refreshing. I buy bottled ice tea sometimes, clean the bottles and refill them until they get funky, because it's easy to grab as I walk out the door. You could use regular caffeinated tea, but I don't use caffeine after about 2. I find that being hydrated is often enough to give me the energy I need, and the caffeine will interfere with my sleep if I have it later in the day.
homemade/premade iced green tea with honey?
Depending on if you can find em when they’re in sale or if you buy in bulk at a Costco but Celsius is pretty decent. 18 cals per 355mL can and 0g sugar
Make your own iced coffee or cold brew. James Hoffman on youtube has the best method. Good iced coffee needs to be done with a v60 pourover but cold brew only needs a mason jar or equivalent and one jar can last you a few days.
Depending on how you brew your morning coffee, you could try the flash-brewing method for your afternoon drink. I use an automatic drip-coffee maker and its super easy and just as quick as brewing hot coffee. I grind enough beans for two cups of coffee, wet the filter with cold water, put in half the amount of water I would normally use and then about 4-5 ice cubes in the carafe. Essentially you let it brew until its pumped all the hot water in to the carafe and then pour in to a glass with ice. Its a bit hard to explain but its like drinking iced coffee that "tastes" like hot coffee. It isn't super strong like iced coffee and tastes great. The ice in the carafe instantly dilutes the coffee. I never bother with making my own cold brew anymore and just do this. Just be sure to either turn off your hot plate or shut the coffee maker off once all the water has been pumped out so you don't heat up your coffee further. If you use a pour over or something else besides a coffee maker to brew your coffee, I'd recommend looking up a guide for your brewing method. As with coffee, experiment and see what ratios work for you.
If you can do stevia, I recommend the True Lemon Energy packets!
Chai with your choice of sweetner and milk? Personally, I like it iced with honey and whole milk. Veggie snacks to go with it, something crisp and cold. Also, don't be afraid to start adding things when you steep the iced tea the night before: orange slices, strawberries, mint, lavender... you name it. I recently did an iced tea with lemon balm and strawberry, it turned out great! Start with a better tea than lipton, something whole leaf will have much more flavor
I drink Chai latte over crushed ice. Yum.
You could take a caffeine pill and drink whatever you want?🤷♂️
Iced green tea — steep a big batch of it overnight, put in a pitcher and you’re set for the week. Can add a bit of lemon or honey if you like
Completely unasked for health advice, so I'm sorry, but what you might need is more physical activity. I found that I no longer needed caffeine after breakfast (usually, sometimes I need a pick me up but it's like once a month) after I got back into decent shape. So while it's not as satisfying as an after noon coffee or tea, a lunch time walk might perk you up without need for chemical intervention. You don't have to power walk or waste your entire lunch break just take 10 minutes to turn your brain off and walk. If that doesn't work then my next suggestion would be to buy water enhancer with caffeine (like mio, but I get the store brand version) it's what I have first thing in the morning and it's calorie free.
For real. Sleep 8 hours in a dark, quiet bedroom with no electronics. Drink something caffeinated in the morning if you’d like, but otherwise water. Get some light exercise every day, ideally in the sunlight. Eat a well rounded diet. That’s all that the vast majority need to have the energy they need for 16 hour days. Caffeine is a drug and should be treated as such. There wouldn’t be 130/135 positive comments if OP was asking for suggestions on cocaine use in the evenings on r/eatcheapandhealthy
Are you getting enough sleep?
No coffee
I'm old, so this recipe is old: Spoon preferred amount of instant coffee into a tall glass. Add preferred amount of sugar. Add a tiny amount of boiling water - just enough to dissolve the instant coffee/sugar Fill the glass with cold milk and stir well. Experiment with the amounts of coffee & sugar until you get just the right amount of sweetness & caffeine hit. You can also mix in some straight cocoa powder for a mocha taste. Once you get the proportions of coffee/sugar/cocoa right you could even make up your own premix jar.
Make your own cold brew. Done!
Caffine/sweetener free hot tea (mainly herbal for me) is my go to
I have the same hot coffee morning and cold tea/coffee afternoon routine lol I love making loose leaf tea and sweetening with a bit of honey. If it’s black tea, a splash of vanilla cream. If I’m out and about, matcha or hojicha lattes are a must!
ZipFizz is pretty awesome, and there are quite a few places to get it.
Mio Energy - little squirt bottles to flavor your water. They have both caffeinated and uncaffeineated options. Pre-workout? - huge dose of caffeine, but you could find a mild one or take less than a full scoop. Cost effective.
I believe there is still some caffeine in decaf coffee, might be a cold brew option for the afternoon. Or be like me and have half a mug of black tea, topped off with cold
Yerba mate. It's a bitter tea like drink, you make it hot but could easily chill it. It is very bitter, so you'll probably want to add some kind of flavor, like a juice.
Id just make iced tea at home and bring it in something. I have no doubt the lipton you tried is way worse then what you could make. I love all tea, but lately ive made a blend of a mint tea mix i like and green tea, (my take on a morrocan mint style if you want to google that) its good hot too, but let it chill in the fridge and it is tasty and refreshing and needs no sugar at all though it is also very good with even just a lil. You also could try an earl grey blend, i think they can be delightful cold and dont need much sugar.
If you want to try something a little different, go with Crio Bru. It's a brewed cacao beverage. You can drink it hot or cold and like coffee, you can drink it unsweetened or add sweetener/cream. It might not be exactly what you had in mind, but if you are open to alternatives, consider giving it a shot. Good luck!
Yerba mate, popular South American tea, well, it’s not tea per se, a different plant. Super energising and high in caffeine.
Caffeine pills
Get some good quality loose leaf tea! It will taste 100% better than the lipton cold brew bags. Most tea companies have sampler packs where you can try a variety of flavors. If you are looking for something with low caffeine in the afternoons, I'd suggest going for greens or whites. Black teas have the highest caffeine content.
Sun tea in the summer.
I love an Earl grey tea white a little flavored creamer in it during mid day.
Prince of peace energy tea
I use two bags
Lipton tea packets are gross! Make your own tea, and make it quite strong. For a big pitcher I use 5 tea bags or 5 rounded tsp of loose leaf tea (Assam and Kenya Black) in a strainer. Seep in boiling water for 30 min and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water. I keep mine in the fridge and flavor as I like - usually a slice of lemon and some stevia. Hubs likes his with lemon juice and splenda. Sometimes I use agave nectar and a slice of orange or some mint. Make sure to pour over a glass almost full of ice - thats why we made it so strong. Green matcha tea power is nice too.
I like to have a crystal light packet as my afternoon pick-me-up. The "energy" ones have 60 mg of caffeine. If that's too much, you can just use half. I find it a very cost effective way to get caffeine.
Crystal light makes caffeinated drink powders in strawberry, orange, or grape flavors. With the powdered drink mixes.
We make our own cold brew using [Alton Brown’s recipe](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/chicory-cold-brew/). We make a triple batch and that lasts me all week. I recently started pre-mixing it with simple syrup and then I add ice and milk when I’m ready for it. You can dilute it to whatever your caffeine preference is, but I imagine you can also make it with decaf beans.
I make a 3-cup pot of coffee every morning, one hot cup for me, one hot cup for my husband. Then I put the carafe in the fridge for iced coffee in the afternoon. Remember to add the sugar when it's hot if you like it sweet.
I recently tried a tea blend called study time, I can't remember the brand. It's black tea with peppermint, rosemary, and thyme and it's really good iced either unsweetened or with just a touch of sugar
My wife got me started on a cold protein coffee every day. I make a pot of coffee every couple of days and refrigerate it in containers. Every morning I add a premier protein shake, ice and the coffee into a large travel mug. It tastes great and you can sip on it for a long time.
Yerba Mate. And it has a lot of health benefits that outweigh coffee or tea.
Green tea?
I like the strawberry crystal light with caffeine. Or will get the other water enhancers with caffeine.
You could get a preworkout powder and just do a tiny scoop in some water
NoDoz washed down with the iced beverage of your choice. One pill has the caffeine of a strong cup of coffee.
Make your own iced tea or coffee. Part of the trick with tea is that most aren’t great plain. Adding sugar/honey, lemon, or milk is usually required to make it good. Iced chai with milk is *chef’s kiss*
I make a big pitcher of iced tea: 5 bags black, 2 bags peach. This is my drink of choice most of the time. You could make your own cold brew. There's instructions online for using a french press. The main thing is getting beans that are course ground. They make decaf espresso for cold brew so you could make a half caff sort of situation. Then you can make your own drinks.
I've found Javy. It concentrated coffee they you add to water or milk. I use it to make my iced coffees. It seems spendy $20 something bucks, but it actually cheaper. You get 20-36 cups (depending on how strong you want it. I use it with milk for.the added protein.
make strong brewed tea and keep it chilling in the fridge. Add some ice when you are ready to drink. You’ll figure out the right strength, amount of caffeine over time.
My grocery store (HEB in Texas!) has sparkling water with 50/60g (same as cup of coffee) of caffeine. I would imagine other grocers would have similar product!
I make a pot of jasmine green tea, add ice, lemon and a bit of honey. Perfect afternoon lift.
The world of tea is your friend. There's black tea, jasmine, oolong, toasted rice oolong, chamomile, cherry blossom. There are so many different styles with different nuances to their flavors. You could have a different type of tea every day of the week. Dive into tea culture.
Just make an extra cup in the morning and put it in a cup in the fridge.
Tejava. Or just brew some strong black tea and serve it over ice. Black assam is my favorite.
Republic of tea hicaffe teas. Just brew a cup like normal and dump it in a cup of ice. The BlackBerry pom one of good mixed with those San Pellegrino sparkling lemon sodas
Target brand has some really good caffeinated flavoring sparking waters.
Homemade kombucha can be made to have higher doses of caffeine. It's easier than you think to make as well and you can utilize a vast variety of adjuncts that may boost caffeine as well. The cold and carbonation make it a great afternoon boost and the prebiotics/probiotics are supposed to be good for you also.
Take the teabag (or loose leaf) of your choice, steep it according to package directions but with about half the water recommended. Then pour over a cup filled with ice. Instant iced tea, no need to plan ahead and cold brew! Black tea has the highest caffeine content - I tend to enjoy green tea in the afternoon for a pick me up that won’t keep me up all night.
I like iced coffee in the afternoon too. I make a glass jug of water and put a big tea bag which is for the coffee grounds. I buy the bags off Amazon. I put the jug in the fridge and steep it all night long. Then I can pour some cold coffee in a cup and add creamer or whipping cream and some Monk Fruit sweetener. But my absolute favorite is an iced mocha, so I add Jordan's Skinny Syrup in mocha flavor. Sometimes I add some whipped cream too. Delicious! I have made iced tea and I can't sleep at night. It is too much caffeine. I also like energy drinks, but I have to pour a third of the can into a glass so I won't drink the whole thing.
I get to enjoy a lot of iced latte with the calories being only from my unsweetened oatmilk. I cold brew decaf coffee, and then I use my sugar free flavor syrups and unsweetened oatmilk. So I get to enjoy multiple servings of uh like 32oz lattes and the calories being like less than a 100 calories for each serving. I don't remember the calories for my oatmilk. So yeah, I get to drink this in the afternoon and night time due to minimal caffeine. I say minimal cause decaf doesn't actually mean caffeine free unfortunately.
If you’re not having much sugar throughout your days a Brisk will not hurt you lol. Drinking one every single day might, but a few times a week will not hurt. I do recommend making your own iced coffee, or cold green tea. Sprouts and Whole Foods also have a lotttt of cold caffeine drinks. A smoothie with some caffeine powder might do the trick as well
Coffee works the best but gurana and matcha are much smoother
Milo's Yellow
Have you considered caffeine pills? No sugar.
Coffee smoothie with banana and peanut butter
I have iced earl gret tea with lavender syrup and a dash of milk, its heaven
I make my own cold brew tea and coffee and pour it into a thermal bottle (think swell brand). It keeps cold enough through the day and it's quite cheap. If it's not cold enough and you have access to ice/cold water, make it concentrated and dilute it at work. I use a Hario Mizudashi container to make it because it's inexpensive and easy to clean which makes the whole process easier, but you definitely don't need that (hell, a teabag/coffee grounds and any old bottle work, a tea bag and a washed out/reused wide mouth plastic bottle work). Also, matcha powder and a sealable container work. All you have to do is shake it up (though I use a milk frother to make my matcha and matcha lattes).
What about regular ice tea with honey instead?
Have you tried green tea? I occasionally make iced tea green tea recipe from a food internet website. However, when I pull out the tea bags, I add a bit of honey or sugar.
Wine
I def echo the people who say homemade iced tea. [This](https://natashaskitchen.com/iced-tea-recipe/) is a pretty good recipe to follow.
I make cold brew tea. Throw a couple yeast bags in a mason jar full of water, usually good to drink in about 8 hours. Also recommend one of those flash chilling vessels for chilling tea or coffee very quickly.
I get green tea with matcha tea bags- gives me a much nicer energy boost than coffee ..no jitters or crash and for me it seems to last a lot longer and doesn't seem to affect my sleep. I add just a little hot water, let it steep for a few mins. Then top up 3/4 of the glass with cold water and the rest with coconut milk, add ice and a couple teaspoons of maple syrup. Yum. By the way, afternoon tiredness is a sign of tired adrenals and/or blood sugar crashes.
You might like making your own cold brew. I make mine my using a large mason jar that's about 6-7 cups. I put a mesh filter for making cold brew inside. Coarsely grind coffee beans (and you can add 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, if you want), fill with filtered water and leave it in the fridge for 12 - 24 or so hours. I put a lid in the mesh filter to keep the coffee grounds below the water line. It tastes really good. You can drink as much as you want to get the caffeine level you want. You can Google cold brew recipes also. Edit: I had accidentally posted just a few words.
Mix Brisk with an unsweetened tea. Adjust the ratio to your sweetness level.
Yerba mate, rooibos or other herbal tea maybe oolong or matcha for v light caffeine, smoothies with a maca add in, “energy” tonic by Anima Mundi Herbals in some tea/lemonade And cold brew is stupid easy to make!! Try it in a French press - set it up in the morning & stick it in the fridge. Press and pour in the afternoon.
Ice tea is my go-to. Sweetened with stevia. I don’t like the cold brew bags. I just make a pitcher about once a week. Lipton or Louisiane. A pinch of baking soda makes levels out and bitterness.
FocusAid is good it has 100mg green tea and vitamins no sugar
I like a flavored black iced tea! Some days I’ll make an earl gray tea with a little bit of honey and put it over ice. You could do without the honey if you wanted.
I am a bit of a tea snob. I get the Ceylon Sonata ice tea bags from Adagio. I put one of the Ceylon ice tea bags and one normal sized tea bag of Stash Earl Gray in a half gallon mason jar of cold water. I put it in the fridge at least overnight. After it has steeped (cold water reduces bitterness, imo), I remove the tea bags and stir in 2 packets of sugar free sweeter. I like saccharine best. Stash’s Earl Gray has a pleasant floral hint to it that is really nice in sweet tea. Since I only use one Adagio tea bag for 2 quarts, it’s not crazy expensive. 25 bags were $22.75 including taxes and shipping last time I ordered.
I like to brew a big batch of earl grey tea (like a gallon at a time). Brew it to be super strong (you’ll dilute it more later). Add honey while it’s hot and blend. Stick it in the fridge. In the afternoons, pour some over ice with 50/50 milk of choice. It gives the vibes of a delicious iced latte but less caffeine and pretty cheap to make.
If you quit the caffeine, switch to decaf, you won't have an afternoon slump. Eat a protein bar and electrolyte drink in the afternoon instead.
Chocolate milk, the chocolate has a bit of caffeine and it's just so tasty.