Spiced Christmas Teas and Mulled Tea at Home

In short: mulled tea is the easiest festive drink to make at home. Simmer 15 g of a spiced fruit tea in 1 litre of water with orange slices, a cinnamon stick, a few cloves and a star anise for 10 minutes, sweeten to taste and ladle it out hot. For a Christmas cuppa with caffeine, brew a spiced black tea such as Russian Earl Grey or a masala chai in the pot at 95-100°C for 4-5 minutes. Below are the recipes, the blends that work best, and the mistakes to avoid.

From the first weekend of December the kitchen smells of oranges and cloves anyway, so it makes sense to put the kettle to work. Loose leaf tea takes mulling spices beautifully, needs no alcohol, and gives you something to serve guests who are driving home.

Mulled fruit tea on the hob

This is the recipe to make in a saucepan for a houseful. It is caffeine-free, so children and late-evening guests can have it too. A fruit tea with hibiscus and dried apple gives the deep ruby colour and body that mulled wine usually provides.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

• 15 g (about 5 heaped teaspoons) of a spiced fruit tea, such as Spiced Pear or Orange Vanilla Clove
• 1 litre of water
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds, plus a few strips of peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves and 1 star anise
• 2-3 tablespoons of honey, brown sugar or maple syrup, to taste
• Optional: a splash of apple juice, a few slices of fresh ginger, a handful of cranberries

Method

1. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, then turn it down to a bare simmer.
2. Add the orange slices, peel, cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Simmer for 5 minutes so the spices start to open up.
3. Add the tea leaves, cover, and keep on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Do not let it boil hard: hibiscus goes sour and cloves turn bitter.
4. Strain through a sieve into a warmed jug. Stir in the sweetener a spoon at a time and taste as you go.
5. Serve in heatproof glasses with a fresh orange slice or a cinnamon stick in each.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and reheat gently. The same mix also works cold over ice if the house is too warm from the oven.

A spiced black tea for the Christmas pot

For a festive cup with a proper tea backbone, choose a black tea that already carries citrus or spice and brew it the normal way: 2.5 g (one rounded teaspoon) per 250 ml at 95-100°C for 4-5 minutes. Russian Earl Grey, with bergamot, lemongrass and orange peel over black tea, tastes like a Christmas tea without any extra work and takes a dash of milk well. Traditional Masala Chai is the other obvious choice: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves on an Assam base.

To turn either into a stovetop chai, simmer 2 teaspoons of leaf in 150 ml of water for 3 minutes, add 150 ml of whole milk, bring just back to a simmer, strain and sweeten. Oat milk works too, but add it off the heat so it does not split.

Building your own spiced tea blend

If you would rather start from a plain tea, keep a small jar of whole spices by the caddy and add them to the pot.

• Base: 10 g of a strong black tea from our black tea range, an Assam or Ceylon, which stands up to spice and milk.
• Warm spices: 1 cinnamon stick broken into pieces, 6 cloves, 4 crushed green cardamom pods.
• Citrus: the dried peel of half an orange (bake thin strips at 100°C for an hour, or leave them on a radiator overnight).
• Optional: 1 star anise, a few slices of dried ginger, a vanilla pod split lengthways.

Mix, store in an airtight jar for a week so the aromas marry, and brew 3 g per cup for 4 minutes. Go easy on the cloves: two too many and the whole jar tastes of the dentist.

Serving ideas for December

Set up a mulled tea station for a party: a slow cooker on its lowest setting keeps the fruit tea warm for hours without boiling it. Put out a bowl of orange slices, a jar of cinnamon sticks and the honey, and let guests finish their own glass.

For Christmas morning, brew a big pot of Russian Earl Grey rather than reaching for the usual bags; the bergamot and orange peel go well with smoked salmon and with a bacon sandwich alike. On Boxing Day, cold-brew Orange Vanilla Clove overnight (10 g per litre in the fridge) for a refreshing drink next to the leftovers. Our chai collection and fruit tea range have more blends to try.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make mulled tea with tea bags?

You can, but most fruit tea bags are finely cut and turn muddy and sour after 10 minutes of simmering. Whole-piece loose leaf fruit tea holds its flavour in the pan and strains cleanly.

How long can mulled tea sit on the heat?

Up to about an hour on a very low simmer or in a slow cooker on "keep warm". Longer than that, strain the leaves out and keep only the liquid warm, otherwise hibiscus and cloves become harsh.

Is mulled tea suitable for children?

Yes, if you make it with a caffeine-free fruit or herbal base and sweeten lightly. Keep the black tea or chai versions for the adults.

Which spices should I avoid?

Ground spices. They cloud the drink and leave a gritty layer at the bottom. Use whole cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom pods, and strain well.

Can I prepare mulled tea in advance?

Make it the day before, strain, cool and refrigerate. Reheat gently on the hob without boiling, and add fresh orange slices just before serving.