Iced Labrador tea: recipes, measurements, and tips for a perfect boreal drink

If you're looking for an original, caffeine-free alternative to traditional iced teas, iced Labrador tea is the ideal beverage. Hailing from Quebec's northern flora, this aromatic herb offers a unique flavor profile that is boreal, slightly resinous, woody, and subtly minty. Naturally devoid of caffeine and theine, it makes for an excellent thirst-quenching and relaxing drink to enjoy at any time of day.

Discover everything you need to know about preparing cold-brew Labrador tea, its dosage and preparation secrets, along with refreshing recipes.

The Benefits of Labrador Tea

Used for centuries in traditional Indigenous medicine, Labrador tea is a true nutritional powerhouse. Rich in antioxidants and beneficial minerals, it helps protect the body daily. Its flavonoids and tannins help reduce free radicals, thereby fighting cellular aging and promoting cardiovascular health. Its natural components combat cell wear, support the heart, and help reduce inflammation.

Successful Cold-Brew Labrador Tea

To successfully make iced Labrador tea, it's essential to understand how to extract its essential oils without altering its taste. Unlike classic herbal teas, this wild plant requires special attention during preparation.

How to Brew Labrador Tea?

To achieve an exceptional taste experience, preparing Labrador tea requires a few simple adjustments that make all the difference:

• Ideally, use filtered water to avoid the chlorine taste of tap water, and heat it to between 85 and 90 °C without reaching a boil.
• For dosage, use 2 teaspoons of crushed leaves or a few whole leaves per cup of water (250 ml) for a medium-intensity infusion.
• Unlike classic tea, Labrador tea requires a longer steeping time to release all its flavors: let it infuse for 10 minutes, or even 20 minutes for a bolder taste.
• It is also possible to cold-brew Labrador tea for a refreshing infusion with many benefits, as explained later in the article.

Preparation tip: We recommend not grinding your Labrador tea leaves in a high-speed coffee or spice grinder. To infuse them, simply gently crush the whole leaves between your fingers or coarsely chop them with a knife for better flavor diffusion. Too fine a grind releases an excessive amount of resinous tannins, which makes the drink bitter, cloudy, and very difficult to filter. To learn all the details of this preparation method, you can consult our dedicated article.

Iced Labrador Tea Recipe

This simple recipe will allow you to enjoy the authentic flavor of Labrador tea and its wild boreal forest notes.

Ingredients for 1 large glass (250 ml)

• 1 cup (250 ml) cold water (preferably filtered)
• 3 to 5 whole Labrador tea leaves (adjust quantity to taste)

Preparation Steps

1. Lightly crush the dried leaves between your palms to release their aromas.
2. Submerge the leaves in your glass of cold water.
3. Cover and let infuse in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours (ideally overnight).
4. Filter with an infuser and serve chilled.

Preparation tips: Let your desires guide you and vary the preparation, for example, by exclusively using Labrador tea flowers. Or with a mix composed of 50% Labrador tea flowers and 50% leaves. Enhance this preparation according to your taste by varying its complexity.

Why choose cold brewing?

Cold brewing slowly extracts the plant's sweet, fruity, and minty notes, and tannins are less present without heat to extract them. If you're curious to try other faster methods, consult our different brewing methods.

Variations of Iced Labrador Tea Infusion

Once you've mastered the basic recipe, it's very easy to enhance your iced infusion with local ingredients to vary the pleasures. Here are 2 example recipes.

Iced Labrador Tea, Maple, and Lemon Infusion

This variation is reminiscent of traditional iced lemon tea, but with the flavors of the boreal forest.

Ingredients for 1 large glass

• 1 cup (250 ml) of basic iced Labrador tea infusion
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed yellow lemon juice
• 1 handful of ice cubes and 2 thin lemon slices

Preparation

1. In a large glass, mix the lemon juice and maple syrup.
2. Pour in the iced Labrador tea infusion.
3. Stir with a spoon until the syrup is completely dissolved.
4. Add the ice cubes and decorate with the lemon slices in the glass.

Iced Labrador Tea Infusion with Wild Blueberries

This refreshing drink, a marriage of wild blueberries and Labrador tea, is a fruity classic with a beautiful purplish hue.

Ingredients for 1 large glass

• 1 cup (250 ml) of iced Labrador tea infusion
• 1 small handful of frozen blueberries
• 2-3 mint leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Gently clap the mint leaves a few times between your hands to release their flavors, then place them in the glass. (optional)
2. Add the frozen blueberries, then gently pour the iced Labrador tea infusion over them.
3. Mix gently and enjoy immediately.

Your Turn: Prepare Your Homemade Iced Infusion with Labrador Tea

With its unique woody aromas, richness in antioxidants, and great simplicity of cold brewing, Labrador tea has everything it takes to become your essential seasonal drink. Now that you master all its secrets, it's time to make it your own!

Share your creations on social media with the hashtag #infusionfloem and tell us about your experience! Discover other uniquely flavored aromatics by exploring our online store.