OG SPICED TEA RECIPE
The OG Christmas Spiced Tea
(The recipe that’s been keeping church basements warm since forever.)
Why This Tea Exists
Every family has a recipe that doesn’t make sense until you taste it.
This is one of those. It’s not fancy. It’s not modern. It does not care about your preferences for organic sweeteners or artisanal spices. This tea comes from an era when recipes were written in pencil, stored on index cards, and trusted because they worked.
I learned early on that the holidays don’t need more complexity—they need anchors. Things you can return to when the room gets loud, the schedule gets tight, or the season starts slipping past you.
This tea is one of mine.
It shows up when people linger longer than planned. When conversations soften. When someone says, “Wait—what is in this?” And somehow, the night slows down just enough.
The Recipe
(Do Not Improve This)
🫖 Extra-Old Spiced Tea Mix
(Tang + Lemon Jell-O + Instant Tea — Lipton Era)
This is the EXTRA-OLD, Lipton-era, church-basement, percolator-adjacent version.
The one written in pencil on a recipe card with coffee stains. Respect. 🤠
Dry Mix
(Combine thoroughly. Store airtight.)
2 cups sugar
1 cup Tang (original — do not experiment)
1 small box Lemon Jell-O
½ cup instant tea powder (Lipton Unsweetened — the dusty kind)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice (optional, but very era-correct)
Stir like you mean it.
No clumps. This is not a suggestion.
To Make a Cup
2 teaspoons mix
1 cup boiling water
Stir.
Steam.
Sip slowly like someone raised you right.
Why This Tea Works (And Always Has)
This recipe survived because it does exactly what it’s supposed to do.
It’s:
warming without being heavy
sweet without being precious
nostalgic without trying
It’s the kind of drink that invites people to stay seated. To talk a little longer. To stop checking the time. And in a season that moves too fast, that’s no small thing.
Sometimes hospitality isn’t a grand gesture.
Sometimes it’s a mug in your hands and nowhere you need to be.
How to Use It (Unofficial Guidance)
Serve it when people arrive cold and distracted
Pair it with conversation, not productivity
Refill generously
This is not a “one cup and done” situation.
Want the Full Christmas Survival Kit?
This recipe is part of a larger, very intentional Christmas newsletter that includes:
🎄 Funny, deployable Christmas conversation starters
🎬 Thoughtful Christmas movie recommendations
🎧 A cozy holiday playlist (Spotify + YouTube)
📺 Documentaries and reflections on the season
✨ A quiet closing reminder of the reason we celebrate
👉 [SEE the Full Christmas Newsletter ]
Make the tea. Ask one good question. Let the rest unfold.
