Apple After Hours Tea

Apple and vanilla soften rooibos into a mellow fruit tea, with the tea’s woody flavor keeping it from tasting like warmed apple juice. Brew the rooibos first, then stir in the juice and a little vanilla. The flavoring should support the apple rather than hide it. This is a useful middle ground between a plain herbal cup and a creamy evening drink: light in texture, familiar in flavor, and easy to sip slowly.

Ingredients

• 6 oz Hot water
• 1 tea bag Rooibos tea
• 2 oz Apple juice
• 1/8 tsp Alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

Make it

1. Add the tea or fruit and spices to a heatproof mug or small saucepan.
2. Pour in the hot water. Steep tea for the time on its packet, or gently simmer fruit for 3–5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags. Strain if you prefer, add any optional sweetener, and sip while comfortably warm.

Benefits

Rooibos · caffeine-free with apple juice and vanilla

Apple juice and vanilla changes the character of the rooibos, giving a caffeine-free brew more than one flavor to notice.

Apple juice · a reason to linger

Warm apple juice with rooibos and vanilla and you get a familiar orchard flavor in a cup made for small, comfortably warm sips.