Looking for a Good Nettle Tea? Start With Blend No. 03

Nettle tea has a distinctive green, earthy character. On its own, it can be pleasantly simple. Pair it with the right botanicals, though, and things get considerably more interesting.

That’s the thinking behind Alchemix Blend No. 03. Nettle leaf is blended with peppermint, lemon myrtle, burdock root, milk thistle, alfalfa, liquorice root, calendula and orange peel. The nettle gives the blend an earthy botanical backbone, while mint and citrus bring freshness and lift.

If you’re looking for a nettle tea you’ll actually enjoy keeping in regular rotation, flavour is a very good place to start.

What should you look for in a good nettle tea?

First, decide whether you want straight nettle or a botanical blend.

Pure nettle tea lets you experience the plant on its own. Expect a fairly straightforward cup with green, earthy notes.

A blend gives nettle some company.

For Blend No. 03, we wanted that earthy character to remain part of the cup without dominating it. Peppermint brings freshness, lemon myrtle and orange peel add citrus, and liquorice root provides gentle natural sweetness.

The result has more layers than a single-herb infusion while still tasting unmistakably botanical.

And that matters. An ingredient list can sound terribly impressive, but if you don’t want a second cup, it hasn’t done its job.

What does Blend No. 03 nettle tea taste like?

Blend No. 03 has a fresh, earthy profile with a cooling finish.

Peppermint is one of the first things you’ll notice, giving the infusion a clean freshness. Lemon myrtle follows with its bright aroma, supported by the familiar citrus character of orange peel.

Underneath are the greener, earthier ingredients. Nettle and alfalfa contribute leafy botanical notes, while burdock root and milk thistle give the blend a deeper base.

Liquorice root rounds everything out with a little natural sweetness.

Together, they make a fuller herbal cup without becoming heavy, overly grassy or aggressively minty. It’s refreshing enough for an afternoon brew but has enough depth to be satisfying when you want something warm after dinner.

What’s actually in Blend No. 03?

There are nine botanicals:

• Burdock root
• Lemon myrtle leaf
• Alfalfa
• Peppermint
• Liquorice root
• Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica)
• Milk thistle
• Calendula petals
• Orange peel

Blend No. 03 is loose leaf and made with real botanicals that are organic at source.

Open the packet and you can see the leaves, roots, pieces of peel and petals you’re about to brew. We prefer it that way. Tea shouldn’t require too much guesswork about what’s actually in it.

The blend also contains no black, green or white tea, making it naturally caffeine-free.

Milk thistle is another distinctive ingredient here. If it’s one you’re interested in exploring further, our guide to what to look for in a milk thistle tea explains why the rest of the blend matters just as much as the headline botanical.

What has nettle traditionally been used for?

Nettle has a long history of use as both a food and a traditional herbal preparation.

In European herbal medicine, nettle herb has traditionally been used in preparations associated with urinary tract health and for minor joint discomfort. These recognised traditional applications are documented in the European Medicines Agency’s nettle monograph.

Traditional use isn’t the same thing as evidence that drinking a cup of nettle tea will produce a particular health outcome, so we don’t make that leap.

For Blend No. 03, nettle also earns its place for a much more immediate reason: it works beautifully in the cup.

Why choose nettle as part of a botanical blend?

Nettle plays well with contrasting flavours.

Its green, earthy character gives brighter ingredients something to work against. In Blend No. 03, peppermint adds a cool edge while lemon myrtle and orange peel bring aromatic citrus notes.

Then there are the deeper botanicals, including burdock root and milk thistle, which give the blend more substance. Liquorice root helps pull everything together with gentle sweetness.

It means you don’t have to be particularly enthusiastic about strongly grassy herbal teas to enjoy nettle.

If you want nothing but nettle leaf in your cup, choose a pure nettle tea. If you want nettle within something fresher and more layered, a well-balanced botanical blend makes more sense.

Why choose loose-leaf nettle tea?

One of the pleasures of loose leaf is being able to see what you’re buying.

That’s particularly useful with botanical blends. Blend No. 03 contains leaves, roots, peel and petals in noticeably different shapes and textures rather than everything being reduced to fine particles inside a bag.

Loose leaf also lets you control the strength of your brew. Use a little less when you want something lighter or add more when you’re in the mood for a fuller cup.

And you don’t need specialist equipment. A teapot or roomy basket infuser will do nicely.

If you’re weighing up loose leaf against tea bags, our guide to the benefits of brewing loose-leaf tea covers the practical differences.

How to brew Blend No. 03

Use freshly boiled water and give the botanicals time to infuse.

Because you’re brewing a mixture of leaves, roots and citrus peel, you want the water to reach all of those ingredients rather than packing them tightly into a tiny infuser.

From there, adjust things according to taste.

For a lighter, brighter cup, use a little less tea or shorten the brewing time. For more of the earthy, minty character, let it develop for longer.

Loose leaf is pleasantly forgiving. There’s no prize for brewing it according to somebody else’s stopwatch.

You can drink Blend No. 03 hot or let it cool for a refreshing herbal option during warmer New Zealand weather.

And if you enjoy exploring botanicals beyond the usual peppermint and chamomile, you might also like to discover why butterfly pea tea is worth trying.

Nettle Tea Q&A

Is Blend No. 03 pure nettle tea?

No. Nettle is one of nine botanicals in Blend No. 03. It’s blended with peppermint, lemon myrtle, burdock root, milk thistle, alfalfa, liquorice root, calendula and orange peel.

If you want nettle completely on its own, choose a pure nettle tea. Blend No. 03 is for people who prefer a more layered botanical cup.

What does nettle tea taste like?

Nettle has a green, earthy flavour. In Blend No. 03, that character is balanced by cooling peppermint, bright citrus notes and gentle natural sweetness from liquorice root.

Is Blend No. 03 caffeine-free?

Yes. Blend No. 03 is made from botanical ingredients rather than black, green or white tea, so it’s naturally caffeine-free.

When can I drink Blend No. 03?

Whenever it suits you. The fresh peppermint and citrus character of Blend No. 03 makes it an easy afternoon cup, while being caffeine-free also makes it a practical option later in the day.

Can I buy Blend No. 03 in New Zealand?

Yes. Alchemix Tea Co. is Kiwi-owned, and Blend No. 03 is available for delivery throughout New Zealand.

A more interesting take on nettle tea

You don’t need to make nettle complicated.

It has an earthy, green character, a long history of traditional use and a natural place in botanical tea. We simply think it tastes better when the rest of the blend earns its place too.

In Blend No. 03, fresh peppermint and bright citrus balance nettle’s earthier side, while roots, leaves and petals give the cup plenty of character.

If you’re looking for nettle tea with more flavour than a straightforward single-herb infusion, explore Blend No. 03.