How to Make Herbal Tea – Brew Up the Perfect Mug
An herbal tea, also known as a tisane, is, in fact, not a tea at all. While true teas are brewed from the leaves of the Camellia Sinesis plant, herbal teas are made from dried fruit, flowers, spices, or herbs. Yep, that means you can make an herbal tea from pretty much anything. (Shout out to everyone who brewed up their own “herbal tea” concoction of grass, dandelions, and leaves in their backyard at age 5. You know who you are.)
While not considered a true tea, herbal teas are very closely associated with their health and healing properties. In fact, just about any recommendation you’ve gotten from your grandma regarding teas and sickness –– yep, it’s probably an herbal tea she’s talking about. Think: ginger tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, and more. Granny was right –– herbal tea is jam packed with benefits.
So, let’s dive in and learn how you can enjoy herbal tea and its full benefits.
How Much Herbal Tea Per Cup?
To brew a single serving mug of herbal tea, just scoop 1.5 teaspoons of tea per 8-ounces of water. If you're making a pot to share, you'll want to adjust the amount of tea to ensure everyone gets the full flavor and all the amazing health benefits you’ve brewed up.
In our 16-ounce Brewmaster, you can easily brew up a mug for you and one to share. Simply add 3 teaspoons of your herbal tea of choice, add 16 ounces of water at 208° F for 5-7 minutes. The beautiful thing about herbal and fruit teas is that they are extremely forgiving.
Now, we don’t advise just leaving the blend to steep indefinitely, but since there is no actual tea, you don’t run the risk of scalding the teas or the bitter taste. Then, when your time is up, just grab your mugs and let the Brewmaster's gravity straining do the work.
How to Make Iced Herbal Tea
We’d venture a guess that you’ve enjoyed an iced herbal tea from a chain coffee joint –– you know the one. Their themed iced herbal teas release each summer with a big PR release, and, well, they don’t always live up to the hype.
What does live up to the hype is sipping on your favorite herbal tea over ice during a hot afternoon. Add a splash of milk, honey, or drink it plain, and we bet you've found your new go-to drink. Bonus? Making iced herbal tea with loose leaf tea not only tastes better than the bottled or chain-bought stuff, but it's also super simple to whip up.
Step One: Measure Your Tea
Since you'll be diluting the tea with ice, you should always double the amount of loose leaf you steep. For a single-serving glass of iced herbal tea, you'll scoop in 3 teaspoons of the blend of your choice.
Step Two: Pour in Hot Water
Whatever tea accessory you're using to make your iced tea –– a Brewmaster, Brewbasket, tea filter, or tea ball, make sure you're using 208° F temperature anytime you brew herbal tea.
Step Three: Steep Your Blend
When brewing your tea, we recommend setting a timer so you don't forget about it. Choose your favorite herbal blend and steep it in boiling water for 5-7 minutes. The longer the steep time, the stronger the brew –– so choose the time and strength that works best for you.
Step Four: Strain, Ice, Enjoy!
As soon as your 5-7 minutes are up, strain your tea. The simplest method is to use a Brewmaster that pours your brew directly over your cup filled with ice, but any accessory will work. Doctor up your tea to your liking –– maybe that means garnishing with a lemon wedge, a dollop of honey, a splash of milk or cream, or plain –– it's your tea, we won't tell you how to drink it. What we will say is, cheers to Living Loose!
How to Make Herbal Tea Taste Better?
At Tiesta Tea, we've worked really hard to make tea accessible to tea experts and tea newbies. That means we have a range of blends, including our spin on traditional herbal teas –– like delicate Lavender Chamomile or the punchy, healing Lemon Ginger Turmeric –– to more innovative blends like the best-seller, Nutty Almond Cream, and everything in between. Whatever blend you choose, you can brew them up and enjoy them plain, or you can stir in some add-ins to make it more to your liking.
Just like with coffee, some people prefer to drink herbal tea plain, some soften or sweeten the flavor a bit –– or a lot –– so do what works best for you. The way you doctor up your herbal tea will depend on your tastebuds and the tea blend you choose, but some ideas include:
- Sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute)
- Milk
- Honey
- A squeeze of lemon
- Half and half
- Creamer
- Vanilla
How to Make Cold Brew Herbal Tea
If you're a fan of iced tea, you may be ready to try cold brew tea. And to that, we say, cheers! It's worth noting that while both are served cold, their preparation differs, and so, too, do their health benefits.
For starters, cold brew means it has been, well, you guessed it, cold-brewed. That means it has never been exposed to heat. The slow, cold process results in a smooth, slightly sweeter beverage.
Rather than boiling your tea and then rapidly cooling it with ice, the cold brew method extracts more flavors from the blend over time, resulting in a crisp, clean taste.
With loose leaf tea, you can easily brew your own cold brew herbal tea right at home. In just a few steps, you'll have a pitcher of your favorite cold brew herbal tea at the ready. The hardest part? Waiting patiently 'til the cold steeping is complete.
Here's how it's done:
- Combine loose herbal tea in your accessory of choice with cold water in a pitcher
- Let the tea infuse the water for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator
- Strain and enjoy your cold brew
- Cold-brew herbal tea will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge –– if you don't drink it all first, that is
Ready to Try Some Herbal Tea?
At Tiesta Tea, we travel around the globe to source the best quality ingredients to produce the best cup of tea. We believe in making loose leaf tea that's accessible and affordable without sacrificing quality. Ready to brew up some herbal tea? Check out our herbal tea offerings here. And whether you're brewing up a mug of our Nutty Almond Cream or Citrus Detox, cheers to Living Loose!
