In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the black tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature.

In a blender, combine the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier texture, pulse the mixture a few times instead of blending completely.

Strain the cherry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher to remove the solids, pressing down to extract as much juice as possible.

Once the tea has cooled, add it to the pitcher with the cherry juice and stir well to combine.

Refrigerate the cherry iced tea for at least 1 hour to chill.

Serve over ice cubes and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.