Russian Spice Tea, sometimes called Friendship Tea, is a wonderful festive tea that is easy to make. It can be stored in a jar and scooped out with a spoon into hot water. This makes it a quick and easy hot drink to enjoy if you keep a jar at home already made up.
The ingredients you will need are listed below and are all available at most grocery stores. Simply mix them all together in a large bowl and pour into individual small containers. This warm drink is easy to make and can be a very meaningful present for people who are special in your life. I hope you all enjoy!
Russian Spice Tea Ingredients
1/2 cup instant tea
1/2 cup presweetened lemonade mix
18 oz Tang breakfast drink
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup sugar
The easiest way to do this is to buy an 18oz container of half instant tea and half lemonade mix. This is basically a premade mix for making an 'Arnold Palmer.' Combine this with one 18oz container of Tang and the rest of the ingredients and you have quickly completed this recipe.
A Brief History
The recipe for this tea does not actually come from Russia. It was made popular in America during the 1960's.
The Tang drink mix was first marketed in 1959. Sales of Tang were poor until NASA used it on John Glenn's Mercury flight in 1962, and later on Gemini missions. This attention greatly increased sales and people quickly began using the drink mix for other recipes.
Originally published December 10, 2020
