Old Fashioned Southern Spiced (Russian) Tea is a mixture of warm black tea with orange and lemon juices infused with cloves and cinnamon. It’s a soul-warming winter tea that’s all about comfort.
This hot spiced Russian tea recipe is a classic southern recipe that’s perfect for almost any social occasion. It’s the perfect drink to serve for holiday parties, family get-togethers, or social occasions like christenings, weddings, and baby showers.
You’ll find this recipe in most old Southern cookbooks. It’s made with fresh orange juice, lemon juice, black tea, cloves, and cinnamon. One taste, and you’ll wonder where this drink has been all your life.
I’m going to show you how to make Russian tea from scratch in this recipe. If you’ve been searching for spiced tea recipes, I’m sure you’ve come across many that use Tang breakfast drink as a base. Bleh. If you want to experience the true flavor of spiced Russian tea, this recipe is 100% authentic and beats the socks off those Tang-y versions.
— This post was originally published on March 8, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern Vintage
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Black tea, sugar, spices, orange juice, lemon juice
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This recipe is the real deal with all fresh ingredients. Served it on Christmas Day and everyone loved it.”
— Feed the Mind Transform the Body
We Were Really Social Folks
You might not think that growing up as I did in a tiny, rural south Georgia town in the ’50s and ’60s would provide a person with many social opportunities. That assumption would be so wrong!
I believe we probably had more social events back then than people have these days. And the most important social occasions in my small hometown were showers. Wedding showers and baby showers.
Showers were big events back then. Huge events, really. It was not unusual for several hundred people to be invited to a wedding shower.
Putting on a shower of that size required some detailed planning. Invitations were printed, hand addressed, and mailed sufficiently ahead so that everyone could place the event on her calendar.
Hostesses were assigned specific responsibilities, and the gift shops in town prepared for the multitude of purchases which they delivered and set up on display tables before the honoree arrived. Most gifts were accompanied by the engraved calling card of the giver.
Preparing for Social Events in the ’60s
On the day of the big event, everyone dressed in their Sunday best – heels, hose…the works – and arrived at the celebration. Showers were as much a time to honor a bride or expectant mother as they were an opportunity to catch up on the local news and gossip.
The location was always beautifully decorated with flowers and tables laden with white linen cloths, silver serving pieces, and always a silver or crystal punch bowl. I remember those crystal punch bowls with the little cups that hung on tiny crystal hooks all around their edges. The punch bowl always held a cold beverage, while this recipe was held in a heated urn.
Featuring Russian Tea
This is a warm, citrusy spiced tea. Back then, we called it Russian Tea. I don’t know why, and we had no idea whether it was actually Russian or not. We probably thought it sounded exotic.
According to Southern Living magazine, Russian tea did start out as a hot beverage enjoyed by upper-class Russians in the late 19th century. Though their version was made with black tea, lemon, and sugar only, Southerners quickly picked up the idea and made it their own by adding cloves, cinnamon, and orange juice.
Sipping this sweet, spiced tea takes me right back to those simpler, slower times. Days when we planned events months in advance, hand-addressed correspondence, and put on our Sunday best to show how much we cared for those we shared our lives with.
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- This Russian Tea recipe is a Southern classic that has been enjoyed for generations.
- It’s the perfect beverage for social occasions and celebrations.
- It has a really lovely balance of sweet and tangy flavors infused with warming spices.
Ingredient Notes
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Black Tea — If you can find loose tea, I recommend it; otherwise, use small black tea bags.
- Orange Juice and Lemon Juice — Freshly squeezed is recommended.
- Whole Cloves and Cinnamon Stick— You’ll need the whole spices, not ground.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 26 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Spiced Tea (Russian Tea)
Prepare and Steep the Tea
- Place the tea bags or loose tea in a heatproof measuring cup or other container.
- Pour the 4 cups of boiling water over the tea bags and let the tea steep while preparing the rest of the recipe.
Pro Tip
I haven’t made this recipe in a while, so when I went to the grocery store for some loose black tea, I was shocked that I couldn’t find it. I mean none…anywhere! I’ve always used Lipton’s loose black tea for this, so I settled on trying some black pearl tea bags. It was just as good, but does anyone know why you can’t find loose tea in the regular grocery store anymore?
Prepare the Infusion
- In a medium saucepan, prepare an infusion by bringing 1/2 cup water, sugar, cloves, and the cinnamon stick to a boil.
- Boil for one minute.
- Remove the cloves and cinnamon.
- Add the orange juice and lemon juice into the spiced infusion. Stir well to combine.
- Remove the tea bags (or strain the loose tea) and combine with the spiced infusion and juice.
- Serve warm in punch cups or teacups.
Questions About Spiced Tea
In cooking, to make an infusion simply means to steep one or more ingredients in liquid (usually warm) until the flavor from the ingredient(s) becomes infused into the liquid. In this recipe, we’re extracting the flavor from the spices into the sugar and water mixture.
If you want to make a big batch for a party and keep it warm, you can do so in a slow cooker. Follow the recipe and simply pour the finished tea in a slow cooker set to its lowest temperature.
I’ve made this recipe with only black tea for the last 40 or so years, so I can’t advise you on how to substitute other kinds of tea.
You can, but you’ll have to strain the tea through cheesecloth to remove the spices before serving. It’s worth it to purchase a small jar of each of the whole spices for making the recipe.
More Recipes You’ll Like
Caramel Mocha Latte Recipe
Homemade Spiced Hot Chocolate
Southern Iced Sweet Tea
Infused Water – a Summer Refresher
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Do More With ChatGPT
Recipe
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Spiced Tea (Russian Tea)
Ingredients
- 8 small tea bags black tea (or 8 teaspoons loose black tea)
- 4 cups boiling water
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice strained
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice strained
Instructions
- Place the tea bags or loose tea in a heat proof measuring cup or other container.8 small tea bags
- Pour the 4 cups of boiling water over the tea bags and let steep while preparing the rest of the recipe.4 cups boiling water
- In a medium saucepan, prepare an infusion by bringing 1/2 cup water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon stick to a boil.½ cup water, ¾ cup sugar, 6 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick
- Boil for one minute.
- Remove cloves and cinnamon.
- Add the orange juice and lemon juice into the spiced infusion. Stir well to combine.¼ cup fresh orange juice, ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Remove the tea bags (or strain the loose tea) and combine with the spiced infusion and juice.
- Serve warm in punch cups or teacups.
Notes
- If you can find loose black tea, I recommend it; otherwise, use small black tea bags.
- Freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice are best.
- You’ll need whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, not ground.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Loose tea can be bought from Amazon.