Hibiscus Tea Punch (or… Natural Cool-Aid!)
Yep, I’m still in baby-land over here. (And toddler-land. And laundry-pile-growing land.) But I’m just dropping in real quick to share this yummy little tidbit with you. It seems summer is sneakily creeping in, and this is an awesome new discovery that I’d thought everyone would enjoy before the heat really kicks up.
So… the first thing you should know is that this drink has two names. If you serve it to guests, it’s hibiscus tea punch. Ooh, fancy! If you serve it to your kids, it’s Cool-aid. It looks like cool-aid, and has that familiar tang and fruity flavor. Just minus all the sugar, articial flavors, and food dyes. So it’s actually yummy. And something you’d be happy to give your kids. Win-win! But seriously, in case you’re not familiar with the toddler and small child psyche, don’t try to tell them it’s hibiscus tea punch. It’s cool-aid. Period.
I’m even going to throw it out there that for the adults, the addition of a bit of vodka or liqueur would make a super yummy cocktail. Just sayin’. Mama needs her cool-aid sometimes, too.
Hibiscus Tea Punch (or… Natural Cool-Aid!)
Also, a little disclaimer: as written, this is definitely NOT as sweet as normal cool-aid type drinks. If you or your little ones are used to super sweet stuff, you may want to add a bit more of your chosen sweetener (even if it's sugar), and then slowly lessen the amount you add over time. Even if you add a lot of sugar, you're still better off health-wise, since this is artificial flavoring, dye, and chemical free!
Ingredients
- 4 herbal tea-bags containing hibiscus and any other flavors you wish
- 4 cups boiling water, plus 2 cups cold water
- 1/3-1/2 cups honey, to taste (or any other natural sweetener, to taste)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup no sugar added cherry juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl or tempered glass pitcher, steep the tea bags for 5-10 minutes in the boiling water. Remove the tea bags once the tea is strong enough, then stir in honey (or sweetener) while the tea is still warm.
- Stir in the cold water and a cup or two of ice cubes. Add the apple cider vinegar and cherry juice and stir until combined. Serve chilled, over ice.