Russian Tea Recipe (Spiced Lemon Black Tea)
This Russian tea recipe is made with water, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, black tea, lemon juice, and sugar. You simmer the spices, steep the tea, then sweeten and let it rest so the flavors settle. It’s an easy hot beverage for gatherings—just follow the steps for how to make it and adjust sweetness to taste.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Method
Simmer the spices
Pour the water into a pot. Add the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 15–20 minutes.
Steep the tea
Turn off the heat. Add the tea bags and let them steep for about 5 minutes; steeping too long can make it bitter.
Strain and sweeten
Remove the tea bags. Strain out the cloves and cinnamon through a fine sieve. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar until fully dissolved.
Rest the tea
Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 4 hours so the flavors round out. Before serving, you can reheat it or serve it chilled.
Serve
Pour into mugs. If you like, add a cinnamon stick to each cup for a simple garnish—use one of the sticks from the pot if it’s still in good shape.