How to Make Iced Tea with Herbs

Herbal iced teas are a wonderful way to stay hydrated on warmer days while enjoying a cooling drink with health benefits. There are different approaches to making iced tea at home, like cold brewing or hot brewing, which may be worthwhile experimenting with to find the way that works best for you and adjusting for taste.

One of my first introductions to Western herbal medicine was at a herbal gathering where an iced tea was made with herbs that were foraged in the wild. Prior to this, I didn’t know wildcrafting could taste so delicious, and it made for a refreshing drink after a long day of guided plant walks. Making an iced tea can be so simple by utilizing any herbs that you have on hand and can be made extra special with the addition of gelled seeds like sweet basil and chia.

How to Make Iced Tea Using a Hot Brew Method

The iced tea method I will be sharing is a hot extraction (rather than using cold water) given that herbal compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, and glycosides are better extracted in heat from the herbs used in the recipe such as horsetail, mint, rose, and red clover. Based on the Lebanese Qahwe Bayda, meaning “white tea,” this iced tea combines a strong infusion of fresh mint leaves and orange blossom water with a hint of honey. While it is traditionally consumed warm after having a meal to aid in digestion, this adapted drink can be enjoyed as a chilled beverage with the addition of more mineral-rich herbs — and it’s the perfect drink for a hot summer day.

How to Make Iced Tea with Herbs

This refreshingly herbal iced tea is like drinking a cup of blooms, providing both nourishment and relaxation by simply following the steps in this recipe! Here you’ll learn how to make iced tea with hot water and loose leaf tea. I used mostly dried herbs in this recipe, but fresh herbs also make a wonderful addition to iced tea.

Ingredients you’ll need…

• 1 tbsp dried Damask rose
• 1 tbsp dried or fresh red clover
• 2 tbsp fresh mint (peppermint or spearmint)
• 1 tbsp dried horsetail
• 1 tsp dried orange flower petals (optional)
• 2 tsp orange blossom water
• 2 tsp sweet basil seeds (called tukmaria or sabja on packaging)
• Ice cubes
• Honey to taste

1. Steep the Damask rose, red clover, mint, horsetail, and orange flower petals (optional) in 2 cups of hot water, covered to trap the aromatic oils, for 10 minutes.

2. Then strain the tea and let it cool. Serve over ice. This is a beautifully simple tea all by itself, and if you would like an extra special iced tea experience, you can follow the steps below.
3. For an extra special iced tea experience, you can soak 2 tsp of sweet basil seeds in ½ cup of water for at least 30 minutes until the seeds swell and form a gel. This offers more texture to your tea drinking experience.

4. To assemble each serving, add half of the soaked basil seeds, 1 tsp of orange blossom water, and honey to sweeten and mix together. Then, add ice cubes and top them up with the cooled tea in a tall glass. Enjoy your loose leaf herbal iced tea!

Yield: 2 cups

The Benefits of Orange Blossom

Orange blossom water originates from the fresh bitter orange, Citrus aurantium, and is known to be antimicrobial. Orange blossoms can act as an antispasmodic, relieving any muscle spasms and tightness that originates from tension. It is also supportive of the nervous system, acting as a mild nervous stimulant providing energy and alertness while calming the nerves.

The Benefits of Damask Rose

The Damask rose, Rosa damascena, has been around for centuries as a symbol of love, tradition, healing, and beauty. It is strongly fragrant with a sweet bitterness that makes these petals favored for making the classic rose water. Used both in aromatherapy and through oral intake, rose has sedative and antidepressant effects, bringing with it a sense of calm and joy. It is a cooling heart tonic that reduces inflammation, relieves headaches, and even acts as an antimicrobial.

The Benefits of Red Clover

Red clover, Trifolium pratense, has a wide distribution making the reddish-pink flowers hard not to come across at some point. It has a naturally honeyed flavor and contains many vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, potassium, and more. Red clover is often added to herbal blends for promoting deep nourishment and supporting skin health. Red clover is also a phytoestrogen, so herbalists frequently add it to formulas for hot flashes and preventing osteoporosis.

The Benefits of Mint

A favorite in the warmer months where it can be grown abundantly, mint is a cooling herb that leaves an aftertaste of menthol in the mouth to make for a refreshing addition to a cool drink. It can help relieve tension from headaches and nausea that may come with more sun exposure, and relax the digestive tract through its carminative and antispasmodic activity.

The Benefits of Horsetail

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense, is a nutritive mineralizer that has a notably high silica content, which is essential for nail, hair, and skin health, strengthening connective tissue. It can ease pains associated with rheumatism and has an affinity to bone health due to remineralization actions. Energetically, horsetail is a cooling and drying herb that has been used as a diuretic in cases of hypertension.

The Benefits of Sweet Basil Seeds

Sweet Basil seeds, Ocimum basilicum, are a popular ingredient in South Asian and Southeast Asian drinks and when allowed to soak in water, they expand and become gelatinous on the outside and remain crunchy in the center, similar to chia seeds. They contain a high source of protein and it is a good source of soluble dietary fiber contained in a small serving and along with its mucilage, it can aid with constipation and indigestion. You can likely find these sweet basil seeds at your local South Asian grocery store!

Here are some common questions about how to make iced tea with herbs…

What’s the best tea for iced tea with herbs?

While you can cater the tea to your taste preferences, some herbs that make for a tasteful iced tea are spearmint, lemon balm, hibiscus, chamomile, linden, and rooibos.

Does iced tea have caffeine?

This depends on the type of tea and brewing method you use: a black tea, green tea or oolong tea contain caffeine whereas the above-listed herbs do not, making it a caffeine-free alternative.

How do you make iced tea with a tea bag?

The same hot brew method I’ve outlined above can be used to steep 2 tea bags in 2 cups of water for 10–15 minutes and then allow to cool down and add ice cubes to enjoy.

Can I make an iced tea concentrate?

Absolutely! You can make a concentrate of tea by adding 3 tablespoons of loose leaf herbs to 1 cup of water and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. This concentrate can then be diluted with equal amounts of ice cubes to make for a flavourful iced tea.