Botanical Cold Brew Oolong with Hibiscus and Rose

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Warm summer days and nights call for a deep red infusion of oolong, hibiscus and rose. This cold brewed botanical tea is a long invigorating sip of floral flavors with a base of complex black oolong tea. The slight bitterness of the hibiscus is balanced with the sweetness of the rose petals. This botanical cold brew oolong with hibiscus and rose is the sultry summer drink to keep in your fridge all summer. This ruby red tea is a little different than the other teas in my cold brew series. I like serving the other teas topped with sparkling water, this iced tea doesn’t need anything. Serve strained and cold over ice, I don’t even add sweetener.

This is the third in the botanical cold brew series at The Sifted Field – if you missed the first the botanical cold brew green tea with jasmine and lemongrass is a beautiful, delicate place to start.

About Oolong

Oolong is a complex black tea, with a deep toasted flavor. I used black loose leaf tea for this cold brewed oolong tea recipe. The slightly honeyed, earthy and rich flavor of the tea leaves are the perfect base for the bright, tart and floral flavors of hibiscus and rose petals.

About Hibiscus and Rose

Dried Hibiscus; slightly tart, jewel toned and deeply floral. The bright color of hibiscus petals in unmistakable in any beverage, and the deep red hue in this floral tea recipe is stunning.

Dried Rose Petals; floral and slightly sweet. The rose flavor in this beverage isn’t perfumy. The sweet, musky presence of rose petals brightens the deeper flavors of oolong and hibiscus.

If you love rose in drinks, this rose and cardamom bourbon old fashioned is another beautiful recipe where rose petals do something completely special.

What You’ll Need

This materials and ingredients for this botanical iced tea infusion are few. This recipe is all about technique: a slow infusion process, that produces a robust, full flavor cold brewed beverage.

• Glass carafe with lid; I use a 17.5 ounce container, if you have a liter carafe handy, double up on the ingredients.
• Oolong tea; black, loose leaf.
• Hibiscus; dried petals or flowers, loose.
• Rose Petals; non-treated, food grade. I used whole dried buds, crushed.
• Cold filtered water; fresh and hydrating.

The Process

Making this overnight cold brew is simple, the slow infusion process does all the work, the result? A jewel toned, floral flavored, invigorating beverage.

Add the tea and botanicals to carafe and cover with cold filtered water, let rest in fridge swirling periodically for a deeper infusion.

Let infuse for 8 hours or overnight.

A Note on Color

The hibiscus petal imbue this non-alcoholic beverage with a deep red color, this mocktail is simply stunning. I normally finish with cold brewed botanical tea’s with sparkling water. This one doesn’t need it. The flavor combination is uplifting, and fragrant. keep this one simple.

How to Serve

After straining the tea and flower petals out, pour over ice in a rocks glass and sip slowly.

The rose adds a slight natural sweetness, however of you prefer sweet iced tea, a teaspoon of honey works beautifully in this recipe.

A splash of rhubarb simple syrup with ginger adds a tart, bright note that deepens the hibiscus beautifully.

Or stir in a spoonful of violet simple syrup for a layered floral sweetness that feels completely right in this brew.

Variations

Add a teaspoon of cardamom simple syrup for a bit of warm spice.

Stir pomegranate syrup in for an even deeper, more complex drink.

More Drinks Recipes from My Blog:

The next in the series is the most delicate of all – botanical cold brew white tea with fresh violets – pale, barely floral and completely unhurried.