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Iced peach black tea with cinnamon and star anise, served over ice with peach slices and a light sparkling fizz.
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Sparkling Sweet Peach Tea with Cinnamon & Star Anise

This drink combines strong black tea with a homemade spiced peach syrup made from fresh peaches, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise. After brewing and chilling the tea, you mix it with the cooled peach syrup to create a sweet, richly flavored base. Just before serving, you add ½ cup of sparkling water for a light, gentle fizz. Serve over ice with peach slices. The result is a very sweet, peach-forward, lightly sparkling iced tea with warm spice notes and a refreshing finish.
Course Drink, Iced Tea, Refreshment, Summer Beverage
Cuisine American, Fusion, Southern-Inspired
Keyword black tea peach recipe, cinnamon star anise drink, homemade peach syrup, iced black tea, iced peach tea, peach beverage, peach cinnamon tea, sparkling peach tea, sparkling tea, spiced peach tea, star anise tea, summer drinks, summer tea, sweet iced tea, sweet peach drink
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 drinks
Calories 180kcal
Cost $4 per batch

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Fine-mesh strainer or sieve
  • Spoon or spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Heatproof pitcher or large jar
  • Tea kettle or pot for boiling water
  • Ice cube tray (optional)
  • Serving glasses

Ingredients

Peach Syrup

  • 2 large ripe peaches sliced
  • ¾ cup sugar or up to 1 cup if you want extra sweet
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise pod
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract optional but lovely

Tea Base

  • 3–4 black tea bags or 3 Tbsp loose tea
  • 3 cups hot water

Finishing

  • ½-1 cups cold sparkling water
  • Ice
  • Extra peach slices for serving

Instructions

Make the Spiced Peach Syrup

  • Add peaches, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and star anise to a small pot.
  • Heat on medium until bubbling, then reduce to low.
  • Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peaches become soft and syrupy.
  • Remove from heat; stir in vanilla if using.
  • Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to extract all syrup.
  • Cool completely in the fridge.
  • You can keep the cooked peaches to spoon over yogurt or oatmeal!

Brew the Black Tea

  • Add tea bags to 3 cups of hot (not boiling) water.
  • Steep 5–7 minutes for a strong flavor.
  • Remove tea bags and let the tea chill in the fridge.

Assemble the Sparkling Peach Tea

  • In a pitcher:
  • Combine strong chilled black tea + all the cold peach syrup.
  • Add ½–1 cups of sparkling water right before serving so it stays fizzy.
  • Taste and adjust sweetness (add sugar or honey if you want it extremely sweet).
  • Pour over tall glasses filled with ice and peach slices.

Notes

  • Adjust sweetness: The drink is very sweet as written. Reduce sugar to ½ cup if you prefer a lighter sweetness, or increase to 1 cup for a dessert-style tea.
  • Spice strength: For stronger spice flavor, simmer the cinnamon and star anise for an additional 5 minutes, or add a second star anise pod.
  • Chill fully: The tea and syrup should be completely cold before adding sparkling water—this keeps the fizz from disappearing too quickly.
  • Don’t oversteep the tea: Steeping black tea longer than 7 minutes can cause bitterness. Use more tea bags instead of extra steeping time if you want a stronger brew.
  • Peach variations: Substitute nectarines or frozen peaches if fresh ones aren’t in season.
  • Sparkling water amount: Only ½ cup is used to give a soft fizz without diluting the sweetness. Add more if you want a bubbly version.
  • Serving ideas: Garnish with peach slices or a cinnamon stick for presentation.
  • Storage: Store the tea (without sparkling water) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add sparkling water only when serving.