Herbal Sun Teas (Plus How to Make Them Sparkling)
A jar of water, a handful of herbs, and a few hours of sunshine: that's all it takes to make sun tea. This ruby-red blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, and mint is tart, fragrant, and endlessly refreshing, and it's just the beginning. Below are eight more sun tea blends to try all summer long, plus two easy ways to turn your sun tea into a festive, bubbly drink: a sparkling hibiscus-ginger soda and a celebration-worthy hibiscus citrus spritz.
Yield: 2 quarts sun tea (or about 12 servings of spritz) · Active: 5-10 min · Total: 3-4 hr (plus chilling) · Summer in North America, when the sun is strongest; year-round in sunny tropical climates · Best eaten: midday and afternoon
Why Sun Tea?
Sun tea is brewed by the gentle warmth of sunlight instead of boiling water, and I love it for a few reasons:
It's gentler. Boiling water pulls more of the bitter tannins out of leaves and flowers. A slow sun steep gives you a smoother, rounder, less bitter tea.
It protects delicate compounds. Many of the fragrant oils and heat-sensitive nutrients in fresh herbs, like the vivid anthocyanins in hibiscus and the bright aromatics in mint and lemongrass, hold up better without high heat.
It's a beautiful ritual. There's something special about tea brewed by sunlight itself. Setting a jar in the sun becomes a daily reminder to step outside, too.
A few simple safety steps: Sun-warmed water reaches about 130°F, which isn't hot enough to kill bacteria, so a little care keeps sun tea fresh and safe. Use a very clean glass jar, steep in the sunlight, refrigerate the tea as soon as it's done, and enjoy it within 2-3 days. If it ever turns thick or syrupy, toss it out. Dried herbs and flowers are the safest choice for sun tea; add fresh fruit only after chilling.
Hibiscus, Lemongrass, and Mint Sun Tea
Ingredients
½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed, bruised with the back of a knife, and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large handful fresh mint (about ½ cup)
2 quarts filtered water
Optional, to sweeten after brewing: raw honey or maple syrup, to taste
Optional: lime slices, for serving
Method
Fill the jar. Put the hibiscus and lemongrass in a very clean half-gallon glass jar and fill it with filtered water.
Sun brew. Cap it loosely and set it in direct sunlight for 4-6+ hours.
Add the mint. Add the mint for the last hour of steeping, so it stays bright instead of grassy.
Strain and chill. Strain well and refrigerate right away until cold.
Sweeten and serve. Stir in honey or maple syrup to taste, and pour over ice with a slice of lime.
Eight More Sun Tea Blends
Use about 1 tbsp dried herbs per cup of water (about ½ cup per half-gallon jar), or a big handful of fresh herbs, and follow the same method.
Mint and lemon balm: Bright, cooling, and gently calming.
Rose and hibiscus: Floral, tart, and gorgeous pink.
Lemon verbena and ginger: Lemony and lightly warming. Add a few slices of fresh ginger.
Rooibos and orange peel: Smooth and naturally sweet, with no caffeine. Add a few strips of orange peel.
Tulsi (holy basil) and mint: Fragrant and grounding, with a peppery, clove-like warmth.
Lemongrass and ginger: Zesty and refreshing, wonderful over ice with lime.
Chamomile and lavender: Soft and floral. Use just a pinch of lavender, since a little goes a long way.
Classic green or black tea with mint: For a caffeinated sun tea, use 6-8 tea bags per half gallon and enjoy it in the morning or early afternoon.
Make It Sparkling
Any of these sun teas can become a bubbly homemade soda: a refreshing alternative to sugary sodas on a hot afternoon. There are two ways to add the sparkle:
With a sparkling water machine: Check your machine's instructions first; many are designed to carbonate plain water only, and sweetened tea can foam over. If yours allows other drinks, strain the tea very well (any bits left behind make it foam), chill it until completely cold (cold liquid holds bubbles best), fill the bottle only to the fill line, carbonate with 1-2 gentle bursts, and release the pressure slowly.
The easy way: Brew the tea extra strong, then mix it half and half with cold sparkling water right in the glass.
Sparkling Hibiscus-Ginger Sun Tea
Ruby-red hibiscus and fresh ginger, sun brewed and turned into a festive, bubbly soda. Tart like cranberry, warmed with ginger, and lifted with sparkle.
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated (to taste)
2 quarts filtered water
Optional sweetener (added after brewing): raw honey, maple syrup, or a splash of fresh sugarcane juice
Optional accents: orange peel, lime zest, or fresh mint
Sun brew. Add the hibiscus and ginger to a clean half-gallon jar (or two quart jars), fill with filtered water, and cap loosely. Set it in direct sunlight for 4-6+ hours. A longer steep gives a deeper color and more tartness.
Strain and chill. Strain out the flowers and ginger thoroughly and refrigerate until completely cold.
Sweeten lightly to taste, if you like.
Add the sparkle using either method above.
Serve over ice, garnished with mint, a curl of citrus peel, or a thin slice of ginger.
Hibiscus Citrus Spritz
A festive, ruby-red, alcohol-free spritz for celebrations, retreats, and summer gatherings. Makes about 12 servings.
6 cups hibiscus sun tea (above) or my Hibiscus Cold Brew
½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (or up to 1 cup, for a sweeter, more citrusy spritz)
4 cups sparkling mineral water, cold (added at serving)
Lime wedges, for garnish
Optional: fresh mint and edible flowers
Make the base. Combine the hibiscus tea and orange juice in a large pitcher, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Pour. Fill each glass about two-thirds full with the hibiscus-orange base.
Add the sparkle. Top with sparkling mineral water and stir gently.
Garnish with a lime wedge, fresh mint, or an edible flower.
Serve right away, while the bubbles are lively.
For a crowd: For 24 or more guests, double the batch and keep about 3 quarts of the hibiscus-orange base chilled in a pitcher, then top each glass with sparkling water as you pour.
Sparkling Variations
These work with any of the sparkling drinks:
Electrolyte boost: Add a tiny pinch of Baja Gold sea salt before serving.
Citrus: Sun brew with a few strips of orange peel, and finish with a squeeze of lime.
Herbal twist: Add fresh mint or lemongrass for the last hour of the sun brew.
Low-sugar: Skip the sweetener, and twist a strip of citrus peel over each glass for aroma.
Flavor notes: Hibiscus is tart, cranberry-like, and cooling; ginger is warming, bright, and good for digestion; and the sparkle lifts the aromas and refreshes the palate.
Nourishment Notes
Hibiscus is rich in anthocyanins, the deep red pigments also found in berries and red cabbage, along with hibiscus acid and gossypetin. It's been studied in clinical trials for supporting heart health and healthy blood pressure, and it's naturally caffeine-free.
Lemongrass brings citral, the bright, lemony compound behind its aroma, and has long been used for digestion.
Mint adds menthol, which is cooling and soothing to the stomach.
Fresh ginger brings gingerols, well studied for easing nausea and supporting digestion.
Fresh orange juice adds vitamin C, hesperidin, and folate.
Sparkling mineral water naturally contains dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate, depending on its source. Seltzer, by contrast, is plain carbonated water, and club soda has small amounts of added mineral salts.
These are mocktails in the truest sense, built from real herbs, flowers, and fruit instead of syrups and artificial colors.
As a circadian and seasonal drink, sun tea belongs to bright summer days: brew it in the morning sun, and enjoy it through midday and afternoon, when your body's need for hydration is highest.
Sourcing
Dried hibiscus flowers — organic, whole or nearly whole (not powdered), deep red-purple, and slightly sticky; Frontier Co-op and Mountain Rose Herbs both sell organic hibiscus
Dried herbs and teas (rose, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rooibos, tulsi, chamomile, lavender, green or black tea) — organic, from Frontier Co-op, Mountain Rose Herbs, or a local apothecary
Fresh lemongrass, mint, and ginger — organic, from a farmers' market or Asian grocer
Oranges, limes, and edible flowers — organic and unsprayed
Raw honey — organic, local, and unfiltered
Maple syrup — organic, Grade A dark
Sparkling mineral water — a naturally carbonated or mineral-rich water bottled in glass, from a brand that publishes its water testing. Gerolsteiner (from Germany's Volcanic Eifel region) and San Pellegrino (from Italy's Alps) are two widely available glass-bottled options. Since Consumer Reports' 2020 testing found PFAS ("forever chemicals") in several sparkling waters, it's worth checking for recent test results
Water — filtered or clean spring water
Jar — a clean half-gallon glass jar with a lid
Storage
Sun tea: Refrigerate in a sealed glass jar and enjoy within 2-3 days
Sparkling drinks: Store the still (uncarbonated) tea in the fridge up to 3 days, and add the sparkle just before serving
Spritz base: The hibiscus-orange base keeps refrigerated up to 3 days. Add the sparkling water only when serving
— Anna aka Food Marshall