Instant Russian Tea Recipe with Tang (Easy 6-Ingredient Mix)

This Instant Russian Tea recipe with Tang is a nostalgic, budget-friendly holiday drink mix that’s been passed down through Southern families for generations. Made with just six pantry staples — Tang, unsweetened lemonade mix, instant tea, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves — it stirs together in minutes, keeps all winter in an airtight jar, and makes a warm, citrusy, spiced cup of tea perfect for Thanksgiving night, Christmas mornings, or gifting to teachers and friends.

Edited: Christmas 2026 I’m not sure about you but I love a sweet story of a family’s favorite Christmas traditions. This was ours. Unfortunately life is full of twists and turns and the true story I’m sharing below no longer exists.

For years I wrote about all things home and family, the good, the ugly and everything in between. However in June of 2021 I was diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. There’s so much more to the story but I was faithful during 35 years of marriage and my husband was not.  The only answer for my health and emotional well being was divorce. (You can check out my YouTube channel if you’re curious.)

This was never the story I wanted but in God’s timing He redeemed my story in Dennis. You can read all the details of our love story in Part 1 (Surprise! I’m Getting Married!) and Part 2 (Love in our 60’s). After 10 months of long distance dating we were married on August 31, 2024. Three weeks later I moved to VA where I now share our Craftsman style home and God’s goodness in our redemption story.

Enjoy the sweet memory below as you enjoy every precious moment with your family this Christmas.

The slightly sweet smell of an evergreen tree. Christmas tree lights twinkling in a dimly lit room.

Strains of beautiful music from Point of Grace A Christmas Story CD.

Sound perfect? I think so! The one day that stands out in all our family traditions is Thanksgiving Day.

Since our children were little the day began with me putting the burly turkey in the oven before anyone opened their eyes.

Everyone awakened to the smell of turkey wafting through the house and the countdown to Thanksgiving Day parades.

From our family meal of turkey and all the fixin’s to hunting down the perfect tree at the Christmas tree lot, this day is one to cherish for all of us.

Instant Russian Tea is a tasty part of this tradition as well. This hot beverage is one our family always enjoys on Thanksgiving night as we decorate the Christmas tree.

We love to drink the tea all winter but the first batch gets made just before Thanksgiving.

Why is it called Russian Tea?

 Russian Tea has very little to do with Russia and a lot to do with Southern creativity. The tea takes its name from the black tea with lemon and sugar that was the preferred beverage of upper-class Russians in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Eventually it became a Southern staple, handed down in church cookbooks over the years.

What is Russian Tea made with?

A 1966 edition of the Statesville (North Carolina) Record and Landmark included a recipe that swapped loose black tea for instant and the oranges for the recently invented powdered orange drink, Tang, along with sugar and spice. Tang eventually printed its own recipe for the drink.

What kind of tea is used in Russian Tea?

For my recipe you can use any kind of tea powder but I use instant tea with or without sugar. If you like it sweet go with the type with sugar. If not go sugar free!

Is Tang still available?

Some readers have asked if Tang is still available. The answer is yes but if you can’t find it at your favorite store you can order it here on Amazon.

I have used some generic orange drink mixes but each store varied and I learned I prefer the original Tang.

Substitutions for Vintage Russian Tea Recipe

• Note of caution: Do not try and use whole cloves to save money by crushing them yourselves. Picking bits of cloves out of your tea is not fun. Not that I would know about that ~eye roll~
• If you don’t have Kool-Aid try using the single lemonade drink mixes. I use 4 single instant lemonade packets instead of 1 Kool-Aid packet
• If you use sweetened iced tea add less sugar to the Russian tea mix.
• The tea hardens in the container over time but I love to drink it through the cold winters!
• You can try substituting a generic store brand orange drink mix but I’ve had mixed results with this.
• Try adding a teaspoon ground allspice to the instant beverage mix.

FAQs about Instant Russian Tea

How to store Instant Russian Tea.

Sometimes if I’m lazy I just pour as much of the dry mix as I can back into the Tang container. I also have a specific glass Christmas jar that I’ve used through the years. An airtight container is preferred for this spiced tea mix.

Giving this recipe to friends and family.

This tea makes a great gift idea for teachers at school and church as well as for a special friendship. A mason jar is a good choice, wrapped in a pretty ribbon or used with these Christmas mason jar labels or with this merry and bright label. If you don’t have a mason jar use any large jar and maybe even add some cinnamon sticks with a ribbon for the perfect treats.

One batch fills approximately 3 to 3½ pint jars

A few practical notes for gifting:

• Leave a little headspace when filling (don’t pack all the way to the rim) so the lid seals well and the recipient has room to stir/scoop.
• If you want each jar to look fuller for gifting, quart jars (4 cups each) would only make 1½–2 jars per batch — better if you’re making one big “presentation” jar rather than several smaller ones.
• For teacher/friend gifts in smaller portions, you could also use half-pint (8 oz) jars, which would yield about 7–8 jars per batch — a nice option if you’re gifting to a larger group.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. jar instant orange drink (Tang)
• 1 pkg unsweetened lemonade-flavor drink powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened instant tea mix
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions for Spiced Tea Mix:

Pour Tang into large bowl.

Add lemonade mix to bowl.

Add instant tea.

Pour in white sugar.

Add teaspoon ground cloves.

Add two teaspoon ground cinnamon to the tea mixture.

Mix everything together.

When ready to serve stir as many teaspoons as you’d like into a mug of boiling water.

It’s totally up to your preference but I like the drink to be thick and not so watery.

When ready to serve pour boiling water over mixture in your favorite mug.

Feel free to let the tea steep as long as you want and enjoy your Christmas time treat!

My favorite Christmas treats to make and serve with this Vintage Russian Tea Recipe!

• Easy Molasses Cookies
• Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Bars
• Mexican Wedding Cookies
• Rice Krispies Treats Ornaments
• Easy Pumpkin Muffins
• Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins