Friendship tea recipe with Tang is a cozy, old fashioned instant spiced tea mix made with Tang, instant tea, lemonade mix and warm spices. If you grew up in the era of church cookbooks, potlucks and handwritten recipe cards, there’s a good chance you’ve met this cozy classic Friendship Tea also known as Russian Tea.

This old-fashioned Friendship Tea recipe with Tang is a sweet, citrusy, spiced instant tea mix that you stir into hot water whenever you want a warm hug in a mug. It tastes like orange and lemon with gentle black tea and just enough cinnamon and cloves to feel like winter and holidays in one sip.

I was introduced to this instant spiced tea recipe in 90’s in a brunch time gathering in Air Force mess. A warm and cozy drink and then I got the recipe from the mess library in an old cook book and since that time this russian spiced tea is my winter essential.
I love keeping a big jar of this friendship tea mix in my pantry during the colder months. It’s perfect for last minute guests, late night something warm cravings, and it doubles as the easiest homemade holiday gift. You mix everything once, store it in jars, and then just stir a spoonful into hot water whenever you want a cup.

What Is Friendship Tea | Tang Tea / Russian Friendship Tea?

Friendship Tea is an old school American drink mix that became popular in the 1960s–80s. You’ll also see it called:

• Russian Friendship Tea
• Instant Russian Tea Mix
• Tang Tea
• Spiced Tea Mix with Tang

Despite the Russian name, this is not a traditional Russian recipe. It’s a very American pantry treat. The base is simple:

• Instant tea powder
• Tang orange drink mix
• Lemonade drink mix
• Warm spices like cinnamon and cloves

You stir all the dry ingredients together to make an instant spiced tea mix, store it in a jar, and then mix it with hot water to serve.

It’s called friendship tea because the recipe was often shared between friends, and people gifted jars of the mix at Christmas, church events, and neighborhood gatherings. It’s one of those nostalgic recipes from grandma’s kitchen.

If you’re as tea-obsessed as I am, don’t miss my other tea recipes from soothing herbal blends to classic masala chai.

Why You’ll Love This Friendship Tea Recipe

Here’s why this friendship tea recipe with Tang deserves a spot in your winter rotation:

• Instant comfort: Just add hot water. No brewing, steeping or babysitting a teapot.
• Nostalgic flavor: Sweet-tart orange and lemon, gentle black tea, warm cinnamon and cloves… it tastes like holiday season in a mug.
• Perfect holiday gift: Fill Mason jars with the mix, tie a ribbon, add a cute tag and you’ve got a thoughtful DIY food gift.
• Customizable: Easily make it decaf, lighter on sugar, or extra spiced.
• Pantry-friendly: Everything is shelf-stable and lives in your pantry. It’s ideal for winter or for gifting.

If you love cozy winter drinks, you might also enjoy my best homemade hot chocolate recipe for a rich, creamy chocolate treat.

Ingredients for Friendship Tea with Tang

Here’s what you need to make this friendship tea mix with Tang and instant tea.

• Instant tea powder: Use unsweetened instant black tea for best control over sweetness. You can use regular or decaf depending on how caffeine-friendly you want this to be.
• Tang orange drink mix: This is the classic orange-flavored powdered drink mix. It gives that bright, nostalgic orange flavor.
• Lemonade drink mix: A powdered lemonade drink mix (like the classic-style ones) adds tangy lemon flavor and some extra sweetness.
• Ground cinnamon: Warm, cozy spice that makes this tea feel like fall and winter.
• Ground cloves: Cloves add a deeper, slightly spicier warmth. A little goes a long way, so measure carefully.

Note: Since We do not have instant black tea powder, I used instant lemon Iced tea mix so I skipped lemonade mix altogether.

Optional Extras & Variations

You can keep the mix classic or add a twist:

• Ground cardamom or allspice: ¼ to ½ teaspoon For a slightly more complex spice profile.
• Extra sugar: 2–4 tablespoons (if needed) Only if you’re using unsweetened lemonade mix and want a sweeter cup.
• Red hot cinnamon candies: a small handful, Some vintage versions add these for color and a stronger cinnamon note. If you do, reduce the ground cinnamon slightly so it doesn’t become overpowering.

How to Make Friendship Tea Mix

This instant Russian tea mix is incredibly easy to put together. You’ll spend more time smelling the spices than actually working.

Step by Step Instructions

• Combine the dry ingredients
  • In a large mixing bowl, add: 1 cup instant tea powder, 2 cups Tang orange drink mix, 1 cup lemonade drink mix, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • If you’re using any optional spices (cardamom, allspice) or a bit of extra sugar, add them now.
• Whisk until evenly mixed
  • Use a whisk or a large spoon to thoroughly mix everything until the color is uniform and there are no streaks of tea or spices.
  • Optional: Pulse the mixture in a food processor in small batches if you want a super-fine, more instant
  • powder. This also helps the spices distribute evenly.
• Store the mix
  • Transfer the friendship tea mix into clean, dry, airtight jars or containers.
  • Label with the name and date. I also like to write the serving directions right on the jar: Stir 1 tablespoon mix into 6–8 oz hot water.

How to Make a Cup of Friendship Tea

Now the fun part making the actual friendship tea.

• Add the mix
  • Add 1 tablespoon of friendship tea mix to a mug.
  • For a bigger mug (10–12 oz), start with 1½–2 tablespoons.
• Pour in hot water
  • Pour 6–8 oz (about ¾–1 cup) of hot water over the mix. Just-off-boiling water works best.
• Stir and taste
  • Stir until everything is dissolved.
  • Taste and adjust: Add a little more mix if you like it sweeter or stronger. Add more hot water if you want it lighter.
• Stir again halfway through
  • The spices can slowly settle at the bottom of the cup. Give your tea a quick stir halfway through drinking to bring that flavor back up.

Iced Friendship Tea

For making iced friendship tea recipe:

1. Dissolve the mix in a small amount of hot water (so it fully dissolves).
2. Top up with cold water and ice.
3. Stir well and adjust the amount of mix to taste, it makes a very refreshing citrusy iced tea.

Variations & Substitutions

This friendship tea recipe with Tang is very forgiving. Here are some ways to tweak it.

Lightened-Up / Less Sweet Friendship Tea

If you want to reduce the sweetness:

• Use a slightly smaller amount of Tang (for example, 1¾ cups instead of 2).
• Choose unsweetened lemonade mix and add just enough sugar or sweetener to match your taste.
• Start with 1 tablespoon of mix per cup of water and see if you’re happy with that before adding more.

Sugar Free or Lower Sugar Friendship Tea

You can experiment with sugar-free drink mixes:

• Use sugar free orange drink mix instead of Tang.
• Use sugar free lemonade drink mix.
• Keep the same amount of instant tea and spices.

Decaf Friendship Tea

If you want to sip this at night:

• Swap the regular instant tea for decaf instant tea.
• Everything else stays the same.
• This way you get all the cozy flavor without the caffeine jitters.

If You Can’t Find Instant Tea

Sometimes instant tea (especially unsweetened) can be hard to find. Here are a few ideas:

• Use sweetened instant tea with lemon
  • Reduce the lemonade mix a little and skip any added sugar to keep it from being too sweet.
• Brewed tea workaround
  • Prepare a strong pot of black tea (2–3 times your usual strength).
  • In your mug, stir together Tang + lemonade mix + spices first, then pour the hot brewed tea over the top.
  • It won’t be “instant mix” in a jar, but you’ll still get the same flavor profile.
• Online options
  • Look for “unsweetened instant tea” online there are generic brands that work perfectly for this recipe.

How to Gift Friendship Tea Mix (Edible Gift Idea)

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this recipe is actually to give it away.

Jar Gifts

• Spoon the friendship tea mix into small 8–12 oz Mason jars or pretty glass jars.
• Add a tight-fitting lid.
• Tie a ribbon or twine around the neck of the jar.
• Attach a simple tag with directions, for example:Friendship Tea Mix
  Stir 1 tablespoon mix into 6–8 oz hot water.
  Store in a cool, dry place. Best within 6–12 months.

How Much Does One Batch Make?

Depending on the jars you use, one batch (with the measurements in this post) will roughly fill:

• About 4–5 small jars (8 oz each), or
• 2–3 medium jars (12–16 oz each)

This makes them perfect for:

• Teacher gifts
• Neighbors
• Co-workers
• Hostess gifts
• Book club or church gathering favors

Storage & Shelf Life

Because everything in this friendship tea mix is dry and shelf-stable, it keeps well when stored properly.

• Store the mix in airtight jars or containers.
• Keep it in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture.
• Make sure you always use a completely dry spoon to scoop out the mix.

How long does friendship tea mix last?

• For best flavor, use within 6–12 months.
• Over time, the spices may lose a little bit of their intensity. If the mix is still dry and smells fine, you can simply use a little more in your mug to get the same flavor.

On gift jars, I like to write a simple Best by date about 9–12 months from the day I make it.

Serving Ideas & Pairings

This old fashioned friendship tea recipe is made for cozy moments. Here are a few ways to serve it:

• With cookies especially shortbread, sugar cookies, or simple spiced cookies.
• Alongside quick breads like pumpkin bread, banana bread, or cranberry-orange loaf.
• As a warming drink at holiday parties or casual get-togethers.
• In a slow cooker for a crowd: add hot water and friendship tea mix to a slow cooker on warm and let guests ladle their own.

For adults, you can also:

• Add a small splash of whiskey, rum or brandy to a mug of hot friendship tea for a cozy evening treat.

Friendship Tea FAQs

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