Iced Rooibos Tea Miami: How to Order It at a Tea Lounge

If you've been searching for iced rooibos tea in Miami, you probably already know the recipes. Brew it strong, chill it, pour it over ice. That's great at home, but on a sticky afternoon on Coral Way most people just want someone else to make it. At specialTEA Lounge, Miami's Original Tea Lounge since 2009, every tea on our list can be ordered as an iced tea, and South African rooibos is one of the easiest to fall for that way. Here's how to order it, what to try once you've had it plain, and where to sit while it sweats in your hand.

Why iced rooibos tea in Miami just makes sense

Rooibos comes from South Africa and isn't technically tea at all, since it grows on a different plant from black, green and oolong. It brews up a deep reddish color with a naturally sweet, mellow flavor, and it's naturally caffeine free. Iced, that sweetness carries without much help, so plenty of people end up drinking it with no sugar at all.

It's also forgiving. In our experience it holds up well as the ice melts, so a tall glass stays pleasant from the first sip to the last one on the patio. For a city where iced drinks are basically a year-round thing, that's a big point in its favor.

We brew it the same way we brew everything else on our list of 60+ premium loose leaf teas: from whole leaf, never bags. That's the real difference between a cup made at a tea lounge and the bottle in the cooler at a gas station.

How to order it (and how to change it up)

The simplest order is just "iced rooibos." From there, there are a few easy ways to make it your own, all built from what's already on the menu:

• Straight up. Iced loose leaf rooibos on its own. Start here if you've never had it.
• Creamy. Rooibos takes milk well, and every drink we make can be done with organic soy, almond or oat milk. Ask for it latte-style if you like your tea smooth.
• With boba. The menu says you can build your own boba with any tea, so tapioca pearls, popping pearls or fruit jellies over a rooibos base is a fair request. It's a good pick if you want bubble tea without much caffeine.

Not sure which way to go? Our team is trained to walk you through the tea list, so just tell them how you usually drink your coffee or tea and they'll steer you. No lecture, promise.

Other iced and frozen drinks at our Miami tea lounge

Once rooibos is on your rotation, the rest of the cold side of the menu is worth exploring. Here's where regulars tend to go next.

Iced teas from the rest of the list. Hot pots aren't the only option for our Chinese green teas, Taiwanese oolongs or Earl Grey. They can all come iced. Keep in mind those are true teas, so they do carry caffeine, which makes them a good afternoon pick before a long study session.

Matcha freeze. If you want something closer to dessert, the matcha freeze lives on the frozen side of the menu with the chilly vanilla chai and our frozen coffee blends. Our frozen drinks and smoothies are vegan-friendly, with no added sugar and non-GMO ingredients. If you'd rather sip it than spoon it, a matcha latte, ordered iced like our other tea lattes, is the other way to get your matcha fix in Miami heat.

Boba and bubble tea. We pour over 10 flavors, including taro, thai tea, matcha and honeydew, plus milk teas, slushies and cremes. For a lot of people searching for boba tea in Miami, a taro creme or a thai tea latte with pearls is the gateway, and rooibos boba is the quieter follow-up.

Coffee-free frozen cremes. For anyone skipping caffeine entirely, these sit right next to the matcha freeze and are an easy swap.

Where to drink it

We're at 10766 SW 24th St in the Columbia Shopping Plaza, about two minutes from FIU, with free parking in the plaza lot right in front of the door. Look for the colorful patio. On a breezy evening it's the best seat in the house for a cold drink, and inside there are cozy corners, free high-speed WiFi with no password and no time limit, and a full board game library. If you're planning to settle in with a laptop, our WiFi and study guide covers how to make a real work session of it.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Saturday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. In a hurry? Order ahead for pickup on Toast, or get delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash, and it'll be waiting cold when you get there. Directions from Coral Gables, Kendall, Doral and downtown are on the visit page.

Next time the heat gets to you, swing by specialTEA and ask for an iced rooibos. Come for the tea, stay for the vibes.