Best Friendship Tea

This cozy spiced tea mix has gone by more names than your Aunt Patty after three husbands - Friendship Tea, Russian Tea, Tang Tea… take your pick. No matter what you call it, it's the same sweet-tart, citrus-spiced comfort in a cup that's been passed around in pickle jars, Tupperware, and church bazaar baggies since the 1960s. One whiff and you're basically transported back to avocado-green kitchens and shag carpet, minus the polyester.

Table of Contents

• 🎥  Watch how easy Friendship Tea really is
• 🗝️Why this mix never goes out of style
• 🧾 What you'll need to make friendship tea mix
• 📖 Recipe
• 🔪 Stir up the best friendship tea
• 👩‍🍳 Got questions? I've got answers - probably
• 📚 More retro sips and cozy classics
• 💬 Comments

🎥  Watch how easy Friendship Tea really is

We always called it "Russian Tea mix". It's basically fall and winter in powdered form. Watch me stir it together faster than you can dig out your mom's avocado-green Tupperware. Bonus: no actual Russian grandmothers were harmed in the making of this video.

🗝️Why this mix never goes out of style

Some recipes fade into obscurity with the Jell-O salads and ham loaves of yesteryear, but this citrus-spiced Tang classic keeps hanging around - and for good reason. It's quick, cozy, giftable, and just plain delicious.

• Mix lives in your pantry for months, unlike that sad bag of herbal tea you forgot existed.
• Tastes like nostalgia with a citrus kick (and no regrets).
• Doubles as the easiest DIY gift - slap it in a jar, tie on some ribbon, and look thoughtful.
• Zero brewing skills needed. If you can stir, you can sip.
• One whiff and you're instantly back in a 1960s kitchen with shag carpet and avocado appliances - minus the polyester.

🧾 What you'll need to make friendship tea mix

Nothing fancy here - just the powdered residents of every 1960s pantry. Tang, instant tea, and a spice lineup that probably lived in avocado-green canisters on your grandma's counter. It's proof you don't need artisanal loose leaves or a tea sommelier when you've got instant mix and a scoop of sugar-coated nostalgia.

• Tang - yes, the astronaut drink. Still fabulous without the space suit.
• Nutmeg - because a little warmth never hurt anybody.
• Cinnamon - the backbone of every cozy recipe since forever.
• Cloves - tiny spice bombs that pack a serious punch.
• Sugar - sweet nostalgia in crystal form.
• Instant tea - don't you dare bring loose leaf to this retro party.
• Red Hots candies - the secret twist your grandma swore by (and probably hid from the kids).
• Orange slices for garnish - because we're classy like that.

Want the whole shebang in one place? Grab the free Kitchen Cheat Sheet PDF - packed with tips, FAQs, storage hacks, and all the little tricks your grandma never wrote down. Print it, stick it on the fridge, or slide it in your recipe binder like the retro kitchen boss you are.

📖 Recipe

🔪 Stir up the best friendship tea

No rocket science here - unless you count the Tang. Just measure, mix, and stash it in a jar. When the craving hits, add hot water and pretend you're at a church social in 1967 with a plate of cookies in one hand and this spiced-up cup in the other.

1. Dump the Tang, sugar, tea, and spices into a bowl like you're about to host a Tupperware party.
2. Stir it up until it looks like powdered autumn. No clumps, no drama.
3. Toss in those Red Hots - the secret handshake of every true Friendship Tea mix.
4. To serve: scoop about 3 teaspoons into a cup of hot water (or more if you like your tea with attitude). Add a thin orange slice if you're feeling fancy - or if company's watching.

Need a label for your gift jars? You can print this one if you like.

👩‍🍳 Got questions? I've got answers - probably

You know the drill - every recipe brings a million "but what if…" Now you don't have to text your grandma at midnight about Tang ratios. You're welcome.

📚 More retro sips and cozy classics

If one cozy drink is good, three are better. These warm sippers are here to keep your mug full, your hands toasty, and your taste buds just a little bit spoiled.

☕️ Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate Rich, velvety cocoa with a kick of cinnamon, chili, and a splash of something stronger to keep you warm. Think cozy blanket meets party invite.

☕️ Salted Caramel Latte Sweet, salty, and way better than whatever the drive-thru is slinging. It's basically dessert in a mug, minus the bored cashier.

☕️ Bailey's Irish Temper (Irish Coffee) Strong coffee tamed with Bailey's and a little spiced rum swagger... or stagger if you drink too many. Perfect for mornings that feel like Mondays… even when they're not.

So there you have it - the retro tea mix that refuses to die, and thank goodness for that. Friendship Tea (or Russian Tea, Tang Tea, Space-Age Sugar Bomb… take your pick) is proof that sometimes the old-school recipes really do hold up. Whip up a jar, stash it in the pantry, or hand it off to a neighbor and watch them think you're the second coming of Southern hospitality. Just don't forget to save a cup for yourself - you'll need it to survive the holidays, the in-laws, and whatever else life hurls your way.

And... try this (trust me) cranberry bliss bar alongside your Russian tea... delish!