How to Make a Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla Latte at Home

By The Georgia Tea Company | Published: 2026-10-21

Category: How-to Guides

Learn how to craft a rich, caffeine-free latte using Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla tea. Step-by-step guide with tips for hot and iced versions.

Quick Answer

To make a Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla Latte, steep the tea double-strength in hot milk, then sweeten and froth for a creamy, caffeine-free latte that tastes like a vanilla dessert.

Why Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla Works So Well in a Latte

Rooibos is naturally sweet and smooth, so it stands up to milk without turning bitter—a common issue with black tea lattes. The vanilla flavoring in Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla adds a jazzy depth, mimicking the vanilla syrup you'd typically add. Using this tea means you skip the extra sweetener while getting a complex flavor inspired by New Orleans.

One trade-off: rooibos is less astringent than black tea, so the latte will taste creamier and softer. If you prefer a stronger tea bite, consider blending a small amount of black tea (but that adds caffeine).

Choosing Your Milk Base

Whole milk gives the richest froth and body, but oat or soy milk also froth well and complement the vanilla notes. Avoid skim milk, which can turn thin and watery. For a dairy-free version, barista blends offer more stable foam.

For iced lattes, use cold milk and shake the tea concentrate with ice to chill quickly. Hot lattes benefit from steaming the milk to 150°F–160°F—too hot will scald the milk and mute the vanilla.

Step-by-Step: Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla Latte

Brew a double-strength tea concentrate: Use 2 teaspoons of Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla per 6 ounces of water. Steep in boiling water (212°F) for 5 minutes, then remove the leaves. Double-steeping extracts more flavor without bitterness. Over-steeping (beyond 7 minutes) can make rooibos taste dusty rather than bolder. Set a timer.
Warm and froth your milk: Heat 6 ounces of milk in a saucepan until small bubbles form at the edge (about 150°F). Use a frother, whisk, or French press to create foam. For an iced latte, skip heating—just shake the milk with ice. Do not boil the milk—it will kill the creamy texture and separate the foam. Keep it below a simmer.
Combine and sweeten to taste: Pour the hot tea concentrate into a mug, add the frothed milk, and stir. Taste before adding sweetener—the vanilla tea is already sweet. Start with 1 teaspoon of honey or agave if needed. Adding sugar before tasting can oversweeten. Vanilla rooibos is naturally mild and sweet, so go light.
Optional: Garnish and serve: Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg on top, or add a vanilla bean pod for presentation. Serve immediately while hot or over ice. For an iced latte, pour the concentrate over fresh ice and top with cold milk. If making iced, brew the concentrate extra strong (3 teaspoons per 6 ounces) because melting ice dilutes flavor.

Tea Recommendation for This Recipe

Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla: Vanilla flavoring gives the rooibos a wonderful jazzy depth, inspired by the New Orleans' French Quarter. This built-in vanilla flavor means you can skip adding extra syrup and still get a rich, dessert-like latte.
Rooibos Bourbon Street Vanilla