In a medium sauce pan, add in the water, sugar and blackberries. Smash the blackberries with a potato masher and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

In a separate pot, bring four cups of water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and add in the tea bags, allowing them to steep for 3-5 minutes.

Turn the heat off on the blackberry simple syrup, letting it cool for about 5 minutes. Pour blackberry mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a medium bowl. Press down on the berries with the back of a spoon to get all the juice out.

Add the simple syrup to the pitcher. Pour in the hot tea, then 4 cups of cold water into the pitcher. Either mix in all of the simple syrup to the tea and place in the refrigerator or put simple syrup in a small pourable container to serve with the cold tea.

Add in ice, some whole blackberries, and optional fresh mint.