Sparkling Orange Chai Mocktail
If you're looking for a refreshing and flavorful mocktail to enjoy, this sparkling chai mocktail recipe is the perfect choice! Made with a blend of chai tea and orange juice, this mocktail is bursting with unique and delicious flavors. The chai tea adds a warm and aromatic spice blend, while the orange juice provides a sweet and tangy flavor that complements the tea perfectly. This recipe also calls for sparkling water, which adds a fizzy and refreshing element to the drink. This mocktail is easy to make and can be enjoyed at any time of the day, whether you're looking to relax in the afternoon or add a fun and unique element to your evening. So, gather your ingredients and enjoy the delicious and refreshing flavors of this sparkling chai mocktail recipe today!
What is Sparkling Tea?
Sparkling Tea simply means carbonated tea and it couldn’t be easier to make. Sparkling tea can be made by infusing any tea that takes your fancy into any sparkling drink that takes your fancy. It’s great to experiment with the different flavours, give it a try!
Is Sparkling Tea Sweet?
Sparkling tea can be as sweet as you would like it to be. You can add as much sweetener of choice as you like. I always like to add a dash of agave/maple syrup or honey to the sparkling water and tea mix.
If you love carbonated tea recipes, you may also love this recipe for infusing delicate white tea into sparkling water to make these white tea shots.
Is Sparkling Tea Healthy?
Homemade sparkling tea made with sparkling water is super healthy just like cold brewed iced tea. To start with, it is made without any additives or excess sugars. By gradually cold brewing the tea, two things happen;
Less caffeine is extracted from the leaves from the low steeping temperature.
More antioxidants are released from the longer steeping times. Overall, making cold brewed sparkling tea a great alternative to unhealthy sodas.
What Flavours go Well With Chai?
Masala chai is a super versatile tea that will go well with so many different flavours. The bold spices are strong enough to stand up to chocolatey flavours such as in these delicious hot choc chai drinks, and also more delicate fruity tastes such as this orange mocktail recipe. Chai also goes wonderfully in a creamy latte just like these coconut chai lattes. Chai is also a wonderful spice to use in baking cakes, cookies and muffins.
How to Make Sparkling Tea
When making sparkling tea, I always use the bottle that the sparkling water comes in as it’s much easier that way. I also recommend sipping a little of the water first to make room for the tea and syrup. Adding tea and sweetener will create lots of extra bubbliness. That said, I wouldn’t recommend steeping for longer than 24 hours, otherwise you will run the risk of loosing the sparkle of this sparkling tea mocktail.
Cold brewing tea directly in sparkling water is the easiest method to use. Alternatively, you can create a tea syrup just like this matcha simple syrup and add this to sparkling water, lemonade, ginger beer, Lilt or whatever takes your fancy.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)
1 small bottle of sparkling water
2 heaped teaspoons of masala chai (or 2 tea bags)
2-3 tablespoons of agave - to taste
2 shots (4fl oz) of orange juice
Slices of citrus - optional
Cinnamon sticks and star anise to serve - optional
METHOD
Take a few sips of your sparkling water to make room for the ingredients.
Add the masala chai, the agave to the sparkling water, pop the lid back on and give it a little mix up.
Place in the fridge for 8-24 hours before making your cocktail.
In tall glasses, add ice, slices of citrus and orange juice.
Pour over the sparkling chai using a fine mesh strainer to remove the leaves.
Add cinnamon sticks and star anise to make it look pretty and enjoy :)
