Tropical Rooibos Cooler

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/17/21
Tropical Rooibos Cooler Mocktails overlooking the ocean
James Bowyer / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 drink
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
61 Calories
0g Fat
15g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 61
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 19mg 94%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 86mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

LaCroix is a favorite sparkling water that offers great flavors and it makes an excellent addition to mixed drinks. The Tropical Rooibos Cooler features one of those flavors in a fruity iced tea. It's a fun and simple recipe that is a mocktail but can easily become a cocktail whenever you like.

The Tropical Rooibos Cooler has a lot of flavors and it's a rather healthy drink, too. The rooibos tea (or red tea) is naturally caffeine-free and the juice blend is filled with tropical goodness. The sparkling water has no sugar, additives, or any of that other stuff we're told to stay away from. Even the syrup is made with natural ingredients.

It all comes together quite nicely to create a very refreshing beverage. This is not one of those super sweet or overly fruity drinks. Instead, it falls on the drier side thanks to the all-natural sparkle of LaCroix.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup freshly brewed, chilled rooibos tea

  • 3 tablespoons pineapple-orange-banana juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest syrup

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup LaCroix Cúrate Mel​ón Pomelo Sparkling Water, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pour the chilled rooibos tea, pineapple-orange-banana juice, and lemon syrup into a highball glass filled with ice.

  3. Top with the melon-pomelo sparkling water.

  4. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • The rooibos tea is often called "red tea," and rooibos is technically not a tea at all. Rather than the tea plant, rooibos comes from the "red bush" of South Africa. It naturally contains no caffeine, which makes it a great alternative any time you want tea without the caffeine.
  • Rooibos has an interesting flavor because it's earthy and has an almost woody tone. If you're a whiskey fan, some rooibos may even remind you of the smoky flavor found in scotch. It's definitely a tea that does not get lost in the background of mixed drinks.
  • For the best rooibos tea, use the hot brewing method and chill it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Be sure to follow the recommended brewing times for the rooibos you're using. Quite often, it's around 3 to 4 minutes.
  • A very specific juice is used in this mixed drink because the blend is too much fun to pass up. Dole Pineapple Orange Banana Juice is available in many grocery stores though you can mimic it with individual juices if you like. The trickiest part of that will be finding banana juice on its own, which really makes the difference in the Tropical Rooibos Cooler.
  • In a pinch, look for a similar tropical juice blend and see how you like it.
  • KISS (stands for "Keep It Simple Syrup") produces a brand of small-batch simple syrups, including lemon zest. While it's true that you can make your own, if you're going to buy lemon syrup, this is one of the best options around.

Spike It If You Want

This fruity iced tea is great as is and it's also the perfect base for whatever liquor you'd like to pour into it. It's as versatile as the orange juice-grenadine mix of the Virgin Sunrise, which can be enhanced with tequila, whiskey, or vodka.

Almost any base spirit will work in this recipe, so try your favorite whiskey, rum, tequila, or vodka. Gin is very interesting as well, particularly some of the new botanical blends like The Botanist and Bloom.

If you'd like to get a little wild, toss in a shot of mezcal. The slight woodiness of rooibos is the most interesting pairing with the smoke of mezcal.

Why We Love Mixing With LaCroix

Melón Pomelo is one of the great fruit blends found in LaCroix's Cúrate collection of sparkling waters. These have a more intense flavor than the brand's other waters, which is why they're perfect for cocktails. This one, in particular, is a natural blend of pink grapefruit and cantaloupe and it's quite the lively drink on its own.

Soon after LaCroix was released it became one of the most popular sparkling waters on the market. Each is flavored naturally and the nutrition label is a bunch of zeroes. That means there's no calories, fat, sodium, carbs, sugar, and they also don't use artificial flavors or colors.

What you taste in LaCroix is the real thing. It has a drier profile than sodas and is a bit like tonic water or club soda. Don't hesitate to switch to LaCroix for either of those to add flavor to a recipe. You can also use it to replace sugary sodas in your cocktails. Flavored sparkling waters are a fabulous addition to any bar and LaCroix is one of the best.