One area that everyone raves about is Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains in the southeast of Poland. It’s all about the great outdoors. In the summer, everyone treks down there to hike the beautiful green mountains.
In the winter, snow sports rule. Many folks who visit Zakopane mention having Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea. It’s often referred to as tea laced with vodka.
Reader, Mage, is one of those who sampled Highlander Tea in Zakopane and asked if I had a recipe for the delicious tea. A little research and now I do!
The recipe may be a well kept secret. While there are many mentions of Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea and many photos of snow bunnies enjoying a mug of Highlander Tea, I found only one recipe online, and that was on polki.pl.
It’s seems like each cook puts a personal spin on traditional recipes. So if you and your family have a variation of Highlander Tea, please share it in the comments! I’m curious and want to hear about your experience with the winter beverage.
I’ve adapted the recipe a bit by doubling the amount of tea added. The original proportions are 2 parts vodka to 1 part tea. You can, of course, adjust to your own taste.
Na Zdrowie!
Lois
PS – you may want to take the shortcut suggested by a reader and just add a shot of cherry liqueur to your tea.
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Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea
- Yield: 2 quarts 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
Tea leaves with vodka from the Polish mountains
Ingredients
- 4 cups boiling water
- 8 black tea bags
- 6 tablesonns raspberry syrup
- 4 cups vodka
- 1/2 cup rum
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Add tea bags to boiling water
- Steep 10 minutes before removing the tea bags
- Add raspberry syrup, vodka, rum, sugar, and lemon juice
- Stir until sugar disdolves
- Bottle and store for two months (this is from the Polish recipe, we enjoyed the same day)
- Serve warm
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Vivian
Thank you for your posts. My parents spoke Polish and I learned a few words from them, but should have learned the language when I had the opportunity.
Your posts and recipes bring back a lot of good memories.
polishhousewife
I’m happy to hear that, Vivian. Thanks for your kind words.
Susan McQuade
This surely sounds like a good tonic for cold weather. Gen Koo Yah (phoenetic Polish!)
polishhousewife
Proszę bardzo
Carol B
Does this have to be refrigerated for two months and what is the raspberry syrup? Something you make or buy?
polishhousewife
Hi Carol B,
Until I saw your email address, I thought it was my sister-in-law asking this questions. 🙂
You don’t have to wait to months. We drank it right away, but I do find that sometimes the flavor is better mellowed after things sit for a while. The raspberry syrup is something you buy. The kind of syrup they use for Italian sodas or to flavor coffee. I’ll insert my affiliate link to the brand I use. You could also take the short cut and just add cherry vodka (liqueur) to the tea if you have some on hand. https://amzn.to/2PSwV8g
Phoenix the Elder
Raised by Polish peasants, hard liquor was our only medicine when we were sick as children, and it was always in a tea, never to be used as a social or pleasure drink. So i never drank as an adult because I only associated liquor as medicine and it tasted horrible as a child. At 60 now, i can break a high fever with just rest, from a good and pure immune system. I am sure before the 1940s, this tea with alcohol was only used medicinally when one was sick.
Phyllis Franz
My daughter’s boyfriend bought me your cookbook for Christmas. I am looking forward to making the recipes. I am Polish. My Babcia and my mom made polish cuisine. I cook a Polish meal at least once a month.
I am going to make the tea. We were in Zakopane and did not try it. Thank you.