Tasty Iced Rooibos Tea

Containing Rooibos, black tea, lemon juice and ginger beer, this tasty Iced Rooibos Tea will get you psyched for summer.  Make hydrating fun!

I got my first taste of Iced Rooibos Tea at book club a number of years ago.  Our hostess had just returned from a trip to Africa where she liked the “Botswanan Iced Tea” so much she asked for the recipe. Isn’t it great to have friends who are well traveled!   

Normally our book club meets at night and we drink wine.  But that meeting fell on Valentine’s Day, so we got together in the afternoon and had both wine AND Iced tea!  Yum!

Besides the red, nutty/sweet, Rooibos, this iced tea is rounded out with black tea, lemon, sugar and (non-alcoholic) ginger beer.  It was so good we all had two glasses (plus wine!)!

Now that summer’s rapidly approaching, I’m looking for lots of tasty ways to hydrate.  With drinks like this Iced Rooibos Tea (and my recent Strawberry Limeade), happily I won’t have to compromise taste.  Yes, it’s going to be a win-win summer!

What is Rooibos?

Rooibos is a South African plant whose leaves are used to make a caffeine-free herbal tea.  The Afrikaans name means “red bush” and the tea has a notable red color. 

Per Wikipedia, “Rooibos contains polyphenols, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, dihydrochalcones,  aspalathin, and nothofagin.”

Popular in South Africa for generations, the tea is now gaining popularity worldwide.

Tips & FAQs

I originally used loose tea and had to look up the equivalent in tea bags since that’s what I had on hand.  Sources said that a tea bag is equivalent to 1-1 ½ teaspoon, so I figured about 2 teabags per tablespoon (because my tea is good quality).  Since my black tea was the super-premium Rishi I went with 1 teabag per tablespoon.

I recommend adding the sugar while the tea is still warm.  It will dissolve much more easily then than after the tea has cooled.

Can I steep longer than 10 minutes for more strength?  We’ve all forgotten to take our tea bags out and it’s not a tragedy.  But you do risk increasing the bitterness of the brew by steeping longer so try not to increase it.  If you’d like stronger flavor go with additional teabags or additional loose tea instead.

No teapot?  Just heat your water in a saucepan, then add the tea or tea bags and cover.  Steep as usual.

And for more African recipe inspiration, consider checking out Chermoula, Ethiopian Beef Tibs, or Lesothan Chakalaka with Papa.

Iced Rooibos Tea

With Rooibos, black tea, lemon juice and ginger beer,this Iced Rooibos Tea will get you psyched for summer.  Make hydrating fun!

Author: Inger

5 from 1 vote

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

cooling time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Beverage

Cuisine African

Servings 6

Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 Tablespoons Rooibos Tea or 2-4 teabags
• 2 Tablespoons black tea or 2-4 teabags (I have used English Breakfast and Darjeeling)
• 1 quart boiling water
• ¼ cup sugar or sweetener
• 2 cups cold water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 12 ounce non-alcoholic ginger beer (see note 2)

Instructions

 

• Steep tea in boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain (or remove teabags), add sugar and stir to dissolve. Chill until cool.
• Add remaining 2 cups water, lemon juice, and ginger beer.
• Serve, adjusting sweetness if desired.

Notes

1) If you don't have a teapot, you can steep your tea in a saucepan. Just boil water in the saucepan, remove from heat, add tea and cover.

2) If you don't have Ginger Beer you can steep a few slices of ginger with the tea and add 12 ounces additional water.  You may need a couple Tablespoons of additional sugar then too.

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 0.03gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.003gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.002gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from the original, published Feb 19, 2017.

• ← Refreshing Strawberry Limeade
• Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Veggies →