Don’t Judge Me Mondays: Maple Rooibos
Welcome to February’s Flavor of the Month: Tea. I am excited to all kinds of ways to use different varieties of tea. I am especially interested in experimenting with tea in food dishes, but today I will be sharing a beverage (it is Don’t Judge Me Monday after all!).
The tea component of the cocktail I’m sharing today is rooibos. If you’ve never tried rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss), it’s a a tea made in South Africa. 
Technically, it’s not a tea plant but a red bush that has leaves that are dried and made into tea. It’s an herbal tea, so caffeine free and not too bitter (it does’t have that drying sensation in your mouth that some black teas do). It has a slightly sweet taste and reminds me of a woodsier flavored chamomile. It’s fairly mainstream nowadays so you should be able to find it anywhere you purchase tea.
Let’s get to the cocktail!
Start by steeping your rooibos in the boiling water in your favorite mug. Add the maple syrup so it will dissolve. Steep the tea three to seven minutes, depending on how strong you want the rooibos flavor.
Now take the teabag out and add your gin. The pine and juniper berry notes in gin pair really nicely with the flavor of the rooibos, I think. Give it a gently stir and enjoy warm.
I’d love to hear how you enjoy rooibos and if you have a favorite brand you drink.
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 rooibos tea bag
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 10 ounces boiling water
- 1 1/2 ounce gin
Instructions
- Steep rooibos in boiling water 3-7 minutes. Add maple syrup while steeping.
- Remove teabag and add gin.
- Gently stir and enjoy warm.