Iced Da Hong Pao with Smoked Plum
Cold-brewed Da Hong Pao meets smoked plum syrup and sparkling water—a dark, complex iced tea with an irresistible smoky-sweet edge.
Cold-brewing Da Hong Pao reveals a side of this tea you've never tasted. The roasted bitterness softens into a smooth, caramel-edged brew with deep mineral undertones—like cold-brew coffee's more sophisticated cousin.
Smoked plum syrup (or Chinese sour plum concentrate, suānméitāng) is the perfect partner. Its dark, tangy sweetness echoes the tea's stone-fruit undertones while adding a layer of complexity that's almost addictive.
The sparkling water isn't optional—it lifts the drink out of heaviness and adds a crispness that makes it genuinely refreshing despite its dark, brooding character.
This is a late-afternoon drink. Serve it in a rocks glass over a single large ice cube, garnished with a dried plum or a strip of orange peel. It's the kind of iced tea that makes people stop and ask what you're drinking.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Da Hong Pao loose leaf tea
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tbsp smoked plum syrup or Chinese sour plum concentrate
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Large ice cubes
- Dried plum or orange peel for garnish
How to make it
- 1Cold-brew: place Da Hong Pao leaves in cold water and refrigerate 10–14 hours.
- 2Strain the cold brew through a fine sieve. Discard leaves.
- 3Stir smoked plum syrup into the cold brew until dissolved.
- 4Fill rocks glasses with large ice cubes. Pour the tea mixture to fill two-thirds.
- 5Top with sparkling water. Garnish with a dried plum or a strip of orange peel.
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