Strong Honeybush with Lemon, Honey and Ginger
Honeybush steeped long and strong, then finished with fresh lemon, raw honey and a thin slice of ginger: naturally sweet, caffeine-free and made to be sipped warm.
Honeybush, a South African cousin of rooibos, lives up to its name: it brews into a liquor that genuinely tastes of honey before you add any sweetener. That natural sweetness makes it the perfect base for a warm cup that doesn't need much help.
Brew it long and hot. Unlike many herbal teas, honeybush actually rewards extended steeping—ten minutes at near-boiling water draws out its rich, syrupy character without producing any bitterness. Tannins are minimal here, so over-steeping isn't a risk.
Lemon and a small amount of raw honey are all you need. The lemon brightens what is otherwise a deeply rounded, almost caramelized cup, and the honey reinforces the tea's natural sweetness without overdoing it. A thin slice of fresh ginger adds a little heat at the back of the throat.
This is the drink for cold evenings, or the night-time alternative to chamomile when you want something a little richer. Honeybush has no caffeine at all, level 0 in our catalog, so the pot can be made as late as you like.
Ingredients
- 2 honeybush tea bags or 2 tbsp loose honeybush
- 1 cup hot water (just off the boil)
- 1 thin slice fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 lemon wheel for garnish
How to make it
- 1Place honeybush and ginger slice in a mug. Pour hot water over.
- 2Cover with a saucer and steep for 8–10 minutes—honeybush rewards a long steep.
- 3Strain through a fine sieve into a clean mug, discarding the ginger.
- 4Let cool 2 minutes, then stir in raw honey and fresh lemon juice.
- 5Float a lemon wheel on top. Sip slowly while warm.
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