Some teas are made for quiet mornings. Others are made for a little drama.
Our Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane falls beautifully into the second category. With hibiscus, raisins, sour cherry, and elderberries, it brews into a bold ruby cup with a cherry-forward flavor that works just as well iced as it does warm.
For spooky season, we used Sour Cherry as the base for two drinks inspired by Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story: one chilled, sparkling, and caffeine-free; the other warm, spiced, and made for slow sipping.
Both recipes are simple, seasonal, and easy to recreate at home.
About Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane
Sour Cherry is a fruit tisane, which means it does not come from the traditional tea plant and is naturally caffeine-free. That makes it a great option for afternoon or evening drinks, mocktails, and recipes where you want deep color and fruit flavor without adding caffeine.
The blend includes hibiscus, raisins, sour cherry flavoring, and elderberries. Hibiscus gives the cup its rich color and brightness, while the fruit ingredients create a layered cherry profile that stands up well to ice, sparkling water, citrus, wine, and warming spices.
For a standard hot cup, steep 1.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of 212°F water for 5–7 minutes. For an iced version, use double the amount of tea and drain over ice. This helps keep the flavor full and prevents the drink from tasting watered down.
For recipes below, we recommend brewing it stronger so the flavor holds up once other ingredients are added.
Recipe 1: The Bloody Cherry
A chilled Sour Cherry sparkler with honey, lemon, and a crisp finish.
This drink is dramatic in color but simple to make. It starts with a stronger Sour Cherry brew, then gets shaken with ice, honey, and lemon juice before being topped with sparkling water.
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink
- 4 teaspoons Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane (dry loose leaf)
- 8 ounces hot water
- 1–2 teaspoons honey, to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Ice
- 2–3 ounces sparkling water
- 1 cherry, for garnish
How to Make It
- Steep Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane in 8 ounces of 212°F water for 7–10 minutes.
- While the tea is still warm, stir in 1–2 teaspoons of honey until fully dissolved.
- Add the brewed tea, lemon juice, and ice to a shaker or sealed jar. Shake until chilled.
- Pour into a glass over fresh ice.
- Top with sparkling water and garnish with a cherry.
Notes
This recipe is caffeine-free and can easily be adjusted to taste. Add more honey for a softer finish or more lemon juice if you prefer a brighter drink.
Recipe 2: Forty Whacks Mull
A warm mulled Sour Cherry drink with red wine, orange, honey, and spices.
This recipe takes Sour Cherry in a deeper, cozier direction. The tea adds fruit flavor and color, while cinnamon, cloves, star anise, orange, and honey bring the warmth.
Ingredients
Makes approximately 4–6 servings
- 1/2 cup Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane (dry loose leaf)
- 1 orange, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 2–4 tablespoons honey
- 1 bottle red wine
- Fruit and spices, for garnish (we like to add a halved lychee, stuffed with a cherry or blueberry to create the illusion of an eyeball for extra spookiness)
How to Make It
- In a large pot, combine Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane, sliced orange, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and honey.
- Add the bottle of red wine.
- Use high heat to raise the temperature (about 5–7 minutes). Then, simmer on low for 20–30 minutes. Do not boil.
- Strain before serving.
- Pour into mugs or heat-safe glasses and garnish with fruit and spices.
Notes
Start with 2 tablespoons of honey, then taste and add more if you prefer a sweeter mull. Keep the heat low so the wine warms gently without boiling.
For a non-alcoholic version, replace the red wine with non-alcoholic red wine, cherry juice, or grape juice.
Shop the Tea
Sour Cherry Fruit Tisane is available online in sample, regular, large, and bulk sizes.
Use it hot, iced, sparkling, or as a base for seasonal drinks like these.