Cran You Believe It: a cranberry rooibos mocktail with boba

The kettle has a job. The ice tray does too. Cran You Believe It brings cranberry, rooibos and lime together with Strawberry tea and Mango popping boba for an autumn drink served cold.

Brew plain rooibos first and let it cool. Then stir in the measured fruit ingredients and tea concentrate. You can also start with prepared Strawberry tea using the separate can recipe below.

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Choose your cranberry juice

Use a ready to drink cranberry juice drink for this version. Unsweetened pure cranberry juice and undiluted cranberry concentrate can taste much sharper, so they are not direct replacements. Note the brand you use, especially if you plan to compare your next glass.

Choose plain rooibos rather than a flavoured tea blend. It gives you one fewer variable when you decide whether to change the fruit or lime. Measure the brewed tea after removing the bag and cooling it.

Cran You Believe It recipe

1 drink | 220 ml before ice, boba and garnish | 400 ml glass

Estimated: 10 minutes, plus cooling.

You will need: Kettle, heatproof jug, measuring jug, spoon and fine sieve.

Ingredients for one drink

• 20 ml Tempo Strawberry Tea Concentrate

• 100 ml cooled plain rooibos, made below

• 90 ml cranberry juice drink, ready to drink

• 10 ml fresh lime juice

• 25 g drained Mango popping boba

• 60 g ice cubes

• 1 lime wheel, optional

• For rooibos: 1 tea bag, about 2 g, and 150 ml boiling water

How to make it

1. Pour the boiling water over the rooibos bag. Brew for 5 minutes, remove the bag and cool fully. Measure 100 ml.

2. Stir the cooled rooibos, concentrate, cranberry juice drink and lime juice together.

3. Put boba and ice in the glass. Pour in the mixture, add lime if using and serve.

Separate Strawberry can variation

1 drink | 290 ml before ice and boba | 450 ml glass. Use this complete version in place of the concentrate recipe.

Ingredients for the can version

• 150 ml liquid tea from a chilled Tempo Strawberry can

• 40 ml cooled plain rooibos, prepared as above

• 90 ml cranberry juice drink, ready to drink

• 10 ml fresh lime juice

• 25 g Mango boba from the same can

• 60 g ice cubes

How to make the can version

1. Separate and measure the tea and boba from the can.

2. Stir the measured tea, cooled rooibos, cranberry juice drink and lime together.

3. Put boba and ice in the glass, pour in the mixture and serve.

Do not add the main recipe’s concentrate or dilution water. Still use the brewed tea and any fruit base listed in this can variation. Follow the can label for any remaining contents.

Make it your way

For a sharper lime finish, use 15 ml lime juice and 95 ml cooled rooibos in the concentrate recipe. For a gentler finish, use 5 ml lime and 105 ml rooibos. Keep the other quantities the same. In the can version, make the same 5 ml swap between lime and rooibos.

Can I serve it warm?

This version is written for a chilled drink. Cool the rooibos before it meets the other ingredients and keep the boba out of the kettle or pan. A warm serve would need its own recipe.

How do I make four glasses?

For four concentrate serves, mix 80 ml Strawberry concentrate, 400 ml cooled rooibos, 360 ml cranberry juice drink and 40 ml lime juice. Brew enough tea to measure the full 400 ml after cooling. Divide the 880 ml mixture between four glasses, each with 25 g boba and 60 g ice.

Can I prepare the tea first?

Yes. Brew it while you organise the glasses and ingredients, then cool it fully before mixing. Add the boba and ice when you are ready to serve. Taste one glass before mixing a larger batch.

Check ingredient labels for your own dietary needs. Serve the finished drink straight away and follow product storage instructions for anything left over.

Shop the recipe

Use Tempo Strawberry Tea Concentrate and Mango popping boba for the main recipe. The separate Strawberry can variation supplies both the prepared tea and its Mango boba.

Tempo Strawberry Tea Concentrate

Mango popping boba sachets

Strawberry tea cans with Mango boba

Your glass, your say

Tried Cran You Believe It? Send us your rating out of five and tell us whether you would make it again. Include the recipe name, the version you used and any changes you made with the amounts.

Would you add more lime, or let the cranberry lead?

Email your feedback to hello@tempoteabar.com. Share a photo on Instagram and tag @tempoteabar too. We’d love to see your version.