Peach and apple make an easy pairing in this caffeine-free fruit tisane, and the cup shows it: sharp yet delicate, sweet yet tart, with peach carrying most of the weight and apple lingering at the finish. Rosehips and hibiscus blossoms sit underneath the fruit and give the liquor its colour — a deep, dark red once it's steeped. Sunflower blossoms and natural flavouring round out the blend.
Fruit tisanes like this one trace back to the herbal and fruit infusions that spread through Colonial America in the 18th century, when tea shortages during the Revolutionary War pushed colonists toward brewing whatever was on hand. Blends from that era earned the nickname "Freedom Teas." This particular recipe is a modern one, made in the last few years, but it sits in that older tradition of steeping fruit and flowers rather than tea leaves.
There's no caffeine here, so it works any time of day, and it has long been reached for as a lower-calorie alternative when a sweet craving hits rather than something to make in a mug of cocoa or a soft drink. Tea & Coffee packs it fresh to order at their Pluckley factory in Kent. To brew it, use freshly boiled water and let it infuse for five to ten minutes; it's best taken on its own, without milk or other additions, so the peach and apple stay in front.
