Honey Grapefruit & Orange Tea Recipe

Bring water to a simmer

Pour 4 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Infuse tea and aromatics

Add 2 tsp black tea (or 2 tea bags), 1 tsp green tea (or 1 green tea bag, if using), 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger, and 1 cinnamon stick to the simmering water. Reduce heat to low and steep gently for 4 minutes for a bright flavor or up to 6 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid over-steeping more than 6 minutes to prevent bitterness.

Remove the pan from heat and strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl or pitcher, discarding the tea leaves, ginger slices and cinnamon stick. Allow brewed tea to cool for 3–5 minutes before adding citrus and honey so the honey won't be damaged by very high heat.

Juice the citrus

While the tea is steeping, juice 1 cup fresh grapefruit (about 1 large grapefruit or 2 small) and 1/2 cup fresh orange (about 1 medium orange). Zest 1 tablespoon of grapefruit peel before juicing and set zest aside.

Sweeten and combine

Stir 3 tablespoons honey into the warm (not boiling) strained tea until fully dissolved. Then add the grapefruit juice, orange juice and reserved grapefruit zest to the tea and whisk gently to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1–2 tablespoons more honey if you prefer sweeter tea.

If you prefer a chilled tea, let the mixture come to room temperature (about 20 minutes), then refrigerate until cold (about 1 hour). For a hot serving, serve immediately while still warm but not boiling.

Prepare garnish

Lightly bruise the mint leaves (if using) by clapping them between your palms to release aroma. Slice grapefruit or orange into 4 thin rounds for serving.

To serve hot: ladle tea into warmed mugs, add a slice of grapefruit or orange and 1–2 mint leaves to each mug. To serve cold: fill glasses with ice, pour chilled tea over ice, add a citrus slice and 1–2 mint leaves per glass. Optionally stir with a cinnamon stick for additional aroma.