There’s a quiet kind of comfort in a cup of liquorice tea, the kind that hits your tongue with a sweetness that never came from sugar. Some blends lean cooling with peppermint, others stay rooted in the earthy anise-like character of the raw root, and a few sneak in supportive herbs like milk thistle and dandelion for a daily ritual feel. With more options than ever crowding the herbal aisle, the right pick depends on whether you crave a clean, single-ingredient cup or a layered botanical blend. This roundup walks through nine options that span loose leaf, bagged, and straight cut root, each with its own take on that signature sweet finish.
The Essentials At A Glance
teapigs Liquorice & Peppermint Tea Loose Leaf (250)
MANASUL CLASSIC Laxative Infusion with Liquorice
Frontier Co-op Cut & Sifted Licorice Root 1lb
Tealise Organic LiverReset Herbal Tea Bags (60)
Tealise Organic Detox & Cleanse Tea (100 Bags)
Tealise Organic Wellness Herbal Tea Bags 100ct
Tealise Organic Mullein Leaf Tea Bags (60)
LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (40 Count)
LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (80 Count)
More On The Choices That Made The List
If your evening wind-down needs a touch of sweetness without the sugar, this loose leaf blend delivers a naturally rounded cup. Whole leaves, real peppermint, and a generous 250-ct pack mean your tin stays full through cold months. The aroma opens with cool mint and settles into that earthy liquorice hum, which makes it feel more like a tisane than a sweet drink.
Compared to the bagged picks later in this list, you get fuller flavor because nothing is pre-crushed into dust. One teaspoon per cup, fresh water, and a three to four minute steep is the usual routine.
Well-Handled Touches
- Whole leaf format releases aroma more slowly than typical fannings
- The liquorice root naturally sweetens the cup, so you skip added sugar
- Peppermint adds a cooling finish that balances the earthy base
- Large 250-ct pack suits households that brew multiple times a day
Worth Noting
- Loose leaf needs an infuser or pot, which is one more piece to clean
- Mint-forward aroma can read more like a candy than a traditional herbal cup for some palates
Made For
Regular tea drinkers who already own an infuser and want a naturally sweet, caffeine-free evening cup.
Look Elsewhere When
The MANASUL CLASSIC Laxative Infusion suits you more when you specifically want a digestive-focused blend with senna and anise alongside the liquorice.
Where most liquorice teas aim for pure comfort, MANASUL CLASSIC leans into a functional blend with senna, peppermint, lemon balm, liquorice, and anise. The sachet format means zero measuring and a five-minute steep is the whole routine. The cup finishes with a gentle anise note that lingers past the cooling peppermint.
It’s a different lane from the teapigs pick: less dessert-like, more targeted at evening rituals. Available in 50, 100, 150, and 300 sachet configurations, the bigger packs suit households that drink it nightly.
Real Benefits
- Multi-botanical formula brings together five traditional herbs in one sachet
- Senna and anise work alongside liquorice to support a digestive evening routine
- Sachets are pre-portioned, so you skip the spoon and infuser step
- Lemon balm adds a soft, calming finish to the cup
Things To Consider
- Senna is a stimulant laxative, so this is not a casual everyday drink for most people
- The anise note can be polarizing if you usually prefer cleaner liquorice cups
- Sachet material is standard, not the plant-based kind some shoppers prefer
Key Specs
Right Fit For
Drinkers who want a functional evening infusion with multiple traditional herbs working together, not a standalone sweet cup.
A Better Fit Elsewhere
The teapigs Liquorice & Peppermint Tea suits you more if you just want a naturally sweet, sip-anytime cup without the laxative-leaning profile.
This one is for the brewers who like to build their own blends. Frontier Co-op ships a full pound of cut and sifted licorice root sourced from Turkey, dried and ready for a homemade tea, syrup, or even a kitchen experiment. There’s no blending, no flavoring, just the raw root in usable pieces.
The aroma leans toward warm anise and a touch of sassafras, which tells you the cut is fresh. Compared to the bagged picks, you control steep time and grind size entirely, which matters when dialing in a personal recipe.
The Value In It
- One pound covers weeks of daily brewing, blending, or baking
- Root is significantly sweeter than sugar, so a small amount goes a long way in recipes
- Cut and sifted format steeps quickly without needing a grinder
- Kosher certified and sourced without artificial additives
- Doubles as a natural sweetener for other herbal teas, juices, and syrups
Honest Caveats
- You measure and clean up loose root, so this is not a grab-and-go option
- A full pound may sit for months if you only brew occasionally, and freshness can fade in the bag
At A Glance
Best Suited To
Home brewers, bakers, and DIY herbalists who want raw root to measure, blend, and experiment with across multiple recipes.
Swap It Out When
The LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (40 Count) suits you more when you want a pre-portioned, single-ingredient cup with no measuring or cleanup.
Tealise leans into the wellness side of herbal drinking with this LiverReset blend, starring milk thistle seed and dandelion root alongside turmeric and ginger. Every tea bag is individually wrapped, which keeps the freshness locked in between cups. Sixty servings lands in the middle of the lineup, sized for about two months of daily use.
Note that liquorice isn’t the headline here: it’s the supporting cast of dandelion, turmeric, and ginger that carries the cup. The plant-based bag material is a small but meaningful detail for anyone avoiding conventional bleached sachets.
Where It Delivers
- Individually wrapped bags keep each serving sealed until brew time
- Plant-based bag material avoids the typical paper sachet feel
- USDA Organic herbs cover the ingredient list cleanly
- Multi-botanical formula layers milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric, and ginger
Practical Considerations
- Liquorice plays a minor role here, so this is not a sweet-root-forward cup
- The turmeric and ginger can read strong for drinkers used to lighter herbal teas
Perfect Match For
Office workers and home drinkers who want a wellness-leaning herbal cup with individually wrapped bags that travel well in a lunch bag.
Reach For A Different Pick When
The Tealise Organic Detox & Cleanse Tea (100 Bags) suits you more if you want a similar botanical profile in a larger, value-sized pack without individual wraps.
Think of this as the bulk-sized sibling to the LiverReset pick. Same backbone of dandelion root, milk thistle seeds, and ginger root, but stretched across 100 tea bags for drinkers who go through a cup every morning. The herbal profile lands smooth and balanced, with the ginger carrying more presence than the dandelion.
Caffeine-free across the board, so it slips into a late afternoon or evening routine without any sleep worries. The bags aren’t individually wrapped, so a sealed canister helps preserve freshness once the box is open.
What Earns Its Place
- 100-bag box covers roughly three months of daily drinking
- Caffeine-free formula works any time of day
- Organic dandelion, milk thistle, and ginger bring a layered herbal cup
- Smooth flavor profile suits drinkers who want botanicals without bitterness
Trade-Offs
- No individual wraps means once opened, freshness depends on your storage container
- Liquorice isn’t a featured ingredient, so the sweet-root character is mild at best
Feature Snapshot
Whose Shelf It Belongs On
Heavy daily drinkers and shared households who want a large-format, caffeine-free herbal option without restocking every month.
Where Another Pick Suits Better
The LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (80 Count) suits you more when you want a pure liquorice-forward cup rather than a multi-botanical blend.
This 100-count box is built around a clean spearmint profile with a naturally cool finish that reads lighter than peppermint-forward blends. The plant-based bag material is the selling point for eco-minded shoppers, and the count keeps restocking infrequent. Marketed under the Lung Support banner, though the cup itself feels more like a soothing everyday herbal than anything medicinal.
For liquorice purists, this one is a stretch: the sweet root is a supporting player at best. The honest read is that it works as a daily caffeine-free sipper for anyone who likes a clean, slightly cooling cup.
The Practical Payoff
- Plant-based tea bags avoid the typical paper-and-bleach feel
- 100 bags per box stretch supply across a full season of daily brewing
- Spearmint base delivers a clean, naturally cool finish
- Caffeine-free formula slips into any hour of the day
Possible Compromises
- Liquorice is not the lead ingredient, so the sweet-root flavor is very subtle
- Spearmint can taste mild to drinkers used to stronger peppermint cups
Built With In Mind
Sustainability-focused shoppers who want a plant-based bag and a clean spearmint cup, with liquorice as a background note rather than the star.
Consider Something Else When
The teapigs Liquorice & Peppermint Tea suits you more if you want the sweet root to lead the cup with a stronger cooling finish.
Mullein leaf takes the lead here, with ginger, turmeric, and spearmint rounding out a softly warming cup. The 60 individually wrapped sachets are the practical draw: each one stays sealed, so a few tossed into a work bag or carry-on stay fresh for weeks. The organic ingredient list keeps things clean, with no artificial flavors or colors in the mix.
Liquorice is not a listed botanical, so the sweet-root character here is subtle, more of a warmth than a sweetness. The cup reads gentle and aromatic rather than bold.
Advantages To Know
- Individually wrapped bags stay fresh in transit, gym bags, or desk drawers
- USDA Organic ingredients across the formula
- Turmeric, ginger, and spearmint bring a layered, aromatic profile
- Caffeine-free for any time-of-day brewing
Less-Strong Areas
- Liquorice is not a featured botanical, so the cup is not sweet-root-forward
- Mullein leaf is a quieter base, which may feel underwhelming to drinkers used to stronger herbal notes
Who Should Grab It
Commuters, frequent travelers, and office workers who want a pre-portioned, individually sealed sachet for brewing on the go.
Not Your Match When
The LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (40 Count) suits you more if you want a pure liquorice-forward cup without the warming spice layering.
One ingredient, one bag, one clean cup of sweet liquorice. LeafLea keeps the formula deliberately minimal: dried licorice root and nothing else, no fillers, no added flavoring. For drinkers who want the real root flavor without botanical camouflage, this is the kind of honest cup that earns repeat purchases.
The 40-count box is the smaller of the two LeafLea options, sized for a few weeks of nightly use. The natural sweetness is intense, so a shorter steep keeps the cup from tipping into cloying territory.
Key Advantages
- Single-ingredient formula showcases the pure root character
- No added sugar, flavors, or fillers in the bag
- Caffeine-free and naturally sweet from glycyrrhizin, the root’s natural compound
- Pre-portioned sachets skip the measuring and infuser cleanup
Some Limits To Know
- Sweetness can read intense to drinkers used to lighter herbal cups, depending on steep time
- 40 bags runs out faster for households that brew more than one cup a day
Quick Facts
Who Will Love This
Pure liquorice enthusiasts and minimalists who want a single-ingredient cup with no botanical distractions.
Skip It When
The LeafLea Licorice Root Tea Bags (80 Count) suits you more if you brew daily and want a larger box to avoid frequent restocking.
Same single-ingredient promise as the 40-count sibling, just doubled up for regular drinkers. Eighty bags of pure dried licorice root, with no mixes, no fillers, and no added flavoring. The box is sized for households that go through a nightly cup without thinking about it.
The larger count is the practical edge over the smaller sibling. The cup itself is identical, so this is purely a play for restocking convenience rather than a flavor upgrade.
Why It Works Well
- 80-bag box covers roughly two to three months of nightly use
- Single-ingredient formula keeps the cup honest and unblended
- Caffeine-free for unrestricted brewing hours
- Natural sweetness from the root eliminates the need for added sugar
Potential Sticking Points
- Big box means you need a sealed canister to keep bags fresh once opened
- Pure liquorice flavor can be too intense for drinkers who prefer blended, minty cups
The Right Fit
Multi-cup households and dedicated liquorice drinkers who want a long-lasting supply of pure root tea without monthly restocking.
Where A Sibling Pick Shines
The teapigs Liquorice & Peppermint Tea suits you more if you want the sweet root tempered with cooling peppermint in a loose leaf format.
What Matters Most When Choosing Liquorice Tea
Single Ingredient Versus Botanical Blend
Some liquorice teas put the root front and center, while others use it as a supporting player in a multi-herbal formula. Pure root cups deliver an intense, almost candy-like sweetness from glycyrrhizin, the natural compound that gives the root its signature flavor. Blended cups dial back that sweetness and layer in mint, dandelion, ginger, or turmeric for a more nuanced sip. Your pick depends on whether you want the root character loud and clear or woven into a broader wellness routine.
Form Factor And Daily Routine
Loose leaf options like the teapigs pick give you the fullest flavor but require an infuser, a pot, and a minute of cleanup. Bagged formats trade a little aroma depth for grab-and-go convenience, which matters on rushed mornings. Individually wrapped sachets, like the Tealise Mullein option, are ideal for tossing into a work bag without worrying about staleness.
Caffeine, Sweetness, And Dietary Notes
Every option in this list is caffeine-free, so none will interfere with evening wind-downs. The natural sweetness varies wildly: pure root teas are intensely sweet on their own, while dandelion-and-milk-thistle blends need a longer steep to bring out their character. If you prefer organic certification or plant-based bag material, the Tealise range and the Frontier Co-op root check those boxes clearly.
Key Considerations Across These Picks
Common Shopping Slip Ups
One of the easiest mistakes is grabbing a “liquorice-flavored” blend expecting pure root character, only to find mint, anise, or digestive herbs taking over. Read the ingredient list before you commit. Another slip is underestimating the natural sweetness of pure root tea: a long steep can push the cup into syrupy territory, so start with three minutes and adjust. Skipping a sealed storage container is the third, since opened tea bags lose aroma fast in humid kitchens.
When Paying More Pays Off
The jump from a basic bagged blend to a USDA Organic, individually wrapped option is mostly about ingredient sourcing, freshness packaging, and bag material. If you brew daily and care about organic certification or plant-based sachets, the higher tier is worth the stretch. For casual drinkers, the value picks in this list deliver the same cup character at a friendlier restocking rhythm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is liquorice tea safe to drink every day?
Liquorice tea is fine for most people in moderation, but the root contains glycyrrhizin, which can affect blood pressure with heavy, prolonged intake. If you have existing health conditions or take medication, check with a qualified professional before making it a daily habit.
Does liquorice tea contain caffeine?
Every option in this roundup is naturally caffeine-free, since the root is an herbal ingredient rather than a tea leaf. That makes any of these picks suitable for evening brewing without disrupting sleep.
What’s the difference between liquorice root tea and liquorice-flavored tea?
Pure root tea uses dried licorice root as the only ingredient, delivering that natural sweetness in an unblended cup. Liquorice-flavored teas often pair the root with peppermint, anise, or other herbs, dialing back the sweetness and adding complexity. Your pick depends on whether you want a clean root cup or a layered blend.
How long should I steep liquorice tea?
A three to five minute steep is a solid starting point for most options here. Pure root teas release sweetness quickly, so shorter steeps keep the cup balanced. Blended cups with ginger or turmeric often benefit from a longer steep to bring out the warming notes.
Can I sweeten liquorice tea with honey or sugar?
You can, but most pure root teas are sweet enough on their own thanks to glycyrrhizin. If you brew a blended option that includes dandelion or milk thistle, a small drizzle of honey can round out the bitter edges without overpowering the natural root sweetness.
The Takeaway
The right liquorice tea comes down to how sweet and how simple you want the cup to be. Pure root options like the two LeafLea picks deliver that signature sweetness front and center, while the Tealise blends layer in wellness botanicals for a more functional cup. Pick the format that matches your kitchen routine, brew a shorter steep at first, and let your palate guide the rest.
