If you want how to make anise hyssop tea in one line: steep a small handful of fresh anise hyssop leaves and purple flower spikes (or about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the dried herb) in a covered cup of just-off-boil water at roughly 90 to 95 C for 4 to 6 minutes, then strain and sip. The result is a fragrant, naturally sweet, caffeine-free infusion that smells of licorice and cool mint at the same time.
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a mint-family wildflower native to the prairies and open woods of North America. Below is the full anise hyssop tea recipe, plus how to keep those delicate aromatic oils bright, how to serve it iced, and a light note on using the plant safely.
What anise hyssop tea is
Anise hyssop tea is a herbal infusion made from the soft green leaves and showy purple flower spikes of Agastache foeniculum. There is no tea leaf and no caffeine involved, so it belongs to the broad family of caffeine-free botanical brews. If you want the wider background on that category, our guide to what herbal tea is covers the basics; here we stay focused on the plant in the cup.
The flavour is the whole appeal. It leads with a lively aniseed-liquorice sweetness, then lifts into a cool, minty finish, which is exactly why it often goes by the nickname licorice mint tea. Because the plant carries its own gentle natural sweetness, most people find it needs little or no added sugar. That makes agastache tea a good choice if you like a dessert-like aroma without reaching for the honey jar.
Neither true anise nor true hyssop
Despite the name, anise hyssop is neither true anise (Pimpinella anisum) nor true hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). It is a mint relative that simply happens to smell of both. The aniseed side of its aroma is the same sweet, licorice-like note you meet in a cup of fennel tea, while the cool, minty lift comes from its place in the mint family.
A North American native with deep roots
Anise hyssop is one of the classic wildflowers of the Great Plains and open woodlands of North America. Indigenous peoples of the region have long used its fragrant leaves and flowers as a sweet, aromatic tea and as a natural sweetener for other foods and drinks. It is also a famous favourite of bees, whose tall flower spikes hum with pollinators right through summer. If you enjoy that North American mint-family character, it sits close to bee balm tea, another native prairie plant brewed in much the same way.
How to make anise hyssop tea
The key thing to remember is that the aromatic oils are delicate. A covered, medium-length steep in water that is just off the boil keeps the anise-and-mint notes bright; water at a full rolling boil, left uncovered, simply drives off the very aromatics you are brewing for. For more on that principle across the whole category, see our guide on how to brew herbal tea.
Ingredients
- A small handful of fresh anise hyssop leaves and flowers per cup, or about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the dried herb
- Fresh water, heated to about 90 to 95 C (just off the boil)
- Optional honey, though the brew is often sweet enough on its own (never give honey to infants under 12 months)
- Optional lemon, which brightens the aniseed notes nicely
Step by step
- Rinse the leaves and flowers gently under cool water to remove any dust or garden visitors.
- Place the herb in a cup, mug or small teapot. The flowers add colour and the leaves carry most of the flavour, so use a mix of both.
- Heat your water and let it settle for a moment off the boil, to about 90 to 95 C.
- Pour the water over the herb and cover the cup or pot straight away, which traps the aromatic steam.
- Steep for 4 to 6 minutes. A shorter steep keeps it light and floral; a longer one deepens the licorice note.
- Strain out the leaves and flowers.
- Taste before adding anything. Only reach for honey or lemon if you feel it needs it.
- Sip warm, or pour over ice for a refreshing cold cup.
Fresh leaves versus dried herb
Both work well. Fresh anise hyssop, picked in the morning when its oils are highest, gives the brightest, most garden-fresh cup; snip the top few sets of leaves and a flower spike or two per serving. Dried herb is more concentrated and available year round, so start with about a teaspoon and work up. Whichever you use, the covered medium steep is what protects that signature anise-mint aroma.
Anise hyssop tea at a glance
| Herb per cup | Water & steep | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Small handful fresh leaves and flowers | 90-95 C, covered, 4-6 min | Brightest anise-mint aroma; great iced |
| 1-2 tsp dried herb | 90-95 C, covered, 4-6 min | More concentrated; start at 1 tsp and adjust |
| Larger pot (multiply) | 90-95 C, covered, 5-6 min | Strain promptly so it does not turn bitter |
Serving it iced, with honey or lemon
Anise hyssop makes a lovely iced tea. Brew it a touch stronger than usual, leaning toward the 2 teaspoon end for dried herb or a generous handful of fresh, let it cool, then pour it over plenty of ice. The cool mint side of the flavour really comes forward when it is cold, and a slice of lemon or a few extra flowers in the glass make it look as good as it tastes.
If you do want to sweeten, honey pairs beautifully with the licorice note, but add it slowly, because this is a naturally sweet brew and it is easy to overdo. Since it takes honey and lemon so well, the same anise hyssop tea recipe scales happily into a jug for a summer gathering.
Storing dried anise hyssop
To dry your own, hang small bundles of stems upside down in a warm, airy, shaded spot, or lay the leaves and flowers on a rack until they are fully crisp. Once completely dry, strip the leaves and flowers from the stems and store them in an airtight jar away from heat, light and moisture. Kept that way, the dried herb holds its aroma well for several months; give the jar a sniff before brewing, and if the fragrance has faded, it is time for a fresh batch. Whole dried flowers and leaves keep their scent longer than crushed herb, so store them loosely and crumble only as you brew.
Is anise hyssop tea safe to drink?
For most people, anise hyssop is enjoyed simply as a pleasant, caffeine-free everyday tea. The most important practical point is correct identification: use culinary Agastache foeniculum, or the closely related and widely grown Korean mint (Agastache rugosa), that you have grown yourself or bought as a food herb, and pick only unsprayed plants. If you are foraging, be confident of your identification before you brew anything.
Any wellness talk around herbal teas should stay gentle: responses vary from person to person, and this is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking any medication, it is best to ask your own healthcare provider before making anise hyssop a regular habit. Start with a single, modest cup to see how you like it, and remember to keep honey away from infants under 12 months.
That is really all there is to it. With good leaves, water just off the boil and a lid on the cup, this licorice mint tea rewards you with one of the most fragrant infusions in the whole herbal repertoire, hot in the cooler months and iced right through summer.