Winter Drink Recipe: Mulled Tea

It’s winter here in the Bay Area and the days are colder and shorter. These types of days are perfect for all things warm and cozy. One cozy drink I like to reach for during the winter season is mulled wine. I wanted to make a non-alcoholic alternative to this cold weather drink, so I concocted a drink with similar flavors but without the alcohol and called it “mulled tea”. The cloves are a staple mulling spice with lots of flavor and antimicrobial properties, cinnamon contributes to the cozy feeling of the drink and contains anti-inflammatory properties, and the orange gives this drink some needed tangy-ness as well as a dose of vitamin C. This hot drink is the perfect companion to a fuzzy blanket and a roaring fireplace.

Ingredients (makes 1 cup of mulled tea):

• 1 cup of boiled water

• 1 teaspoon of whole cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 small orange

• 1 tea bag (or something to steep tea with)

Steps:

1. Pour the freshly boiled water into a mug.

2. Add the cinnamon stick.

3. Place the cloves into the tea bag and steep the cloves for 5 minutes.

4. While the cloves steep, cut the orange in half.

5. After removing the cloves, squeeze the juice from the orange into the hot water. Add to taste.

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