Plaza Cafe Blend Recipe

1. Combine dry ingredients

In a small bowl, combine 6 tsp Golden Monkey black tea, 3 tsp dried hibiscus petals, 2 tsp crushed dried rosehips, 1 tsp dried rose petals (if using) and 1 tsp dried orange peel (if using). Stir gently to distribute the hibiscus and rosehips evenly through the tea leaves.

2. Store or use immediately

If not brewing right away, store the blended tea in an airtight container away from light and heat for up to 2 weeks for best flavor. Otherwise proceed to brewing.

3. Heat water

Bring 12 cups (about 2.8 liters) of filtered water to a rolling boil (100°C / 212°F). Because hibiscus and rosehips benefit from full infusion, boiling water is appropriate.

4. Add tea blend

Place the prepared blend into a heatproof teapot or large heatproof pitcher. Use a fine-mesh infuser or loose in the vessel; if loose, plan to strain later. For the full 12-cup batch use the entire blend prepared above.

5. Pour and steep

Pour the boiling water over the tea blend. Cover the teapot or pitcher and steep for 6–8 minutes for a balanced cup. For a stronger, more tart hibiscus and rosehip character, steep 8–10 minutes. For a milder black-tea-forward cup, steep 4–6 minutes.

6. Strain and sweeten

After steeping, strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher to remove tea leaves, hibiscus petals and rosehip solids. While still hot, stir in up to 2 tbs sweetener (or to taste) so it dissolves evenly. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.

7. Serve hot

Ladle into cups and garnish with a lemon or orange slice and a few rose petals if desired. Hot servings are best consumed within 30–60 minutes for peak aroma.

8. Cold-brew option (gentle, less bitter)

Place the full tea blend in a large pitcher and add 12 cups cold filtered water. Stir, cover, and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. Strain into a clean pitcher and sweeten to taste with simple syrup (because sugar dissolves poorly in cold liquid). Serve over ice with citrus slices.

9. Hot-brew then chill (brighter, quicker)

Follow the Hot Brew steps above. Once strained and sweetened (optional), let the tea cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes), then refrigerate until chilled. To serve, fill glasses with ice and pour chilled tea over ice. Garnish with citrus slices.

10. Adjust balance: hibiscus and rosehips bring tart, fruity notes and strong color; increase black tea if you want more body, or increase hibiscus for a more pronounced tartness. Add sweetener, citrus, or a splash of soda water for variation. Leftover brewed tea keeps refrigerated 3–4 days; discard if off-smelling or cloudy.