It all began this past March when my friend made me a mug of peppermint tea one night. Since then, I’ve been hooked.

Over the summer I found myself craving a hot, soothing beverage to enjoy at the end of the day that wasn’t coffee. This, combined with the fact that it felt too soon to start sipping apple cider, lead me to a variety of different blends that opened my eyes to tea that wasn’t just cold and sweet. 

Peppermint Tea

I guess I’ll start with the flavor that got me into tea. I drank a lot of peppermint tea over this past summer at night before I went to bed, and I loved it. The warm liquid and cool taste of the peppermint leaves were incredibly soothing for my throat and a great way to unwind at the end of a long day. 

Lemon Zinger

This blend from Celestial Seasonings is a great alternative for your morning cup of joe. It’s made up of lemongrass, rosehips, roasted chicory, hibiscus, orange peel, lemon peel, and whole dried lemons. I love the strong flavor of this blend. This tea is a bright, warm, citrusy way to start your day. 

Sleepytime

Another blend from the folks at Celestial Seasonings, this tea has chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn, and rosebuds. I enjoy the warm, spice flavor of this tea and its cool finish from the spearmint leaves. Full of natural sleep aids, this tea is super comforting and really helps me fall asleep. 

Honey Vanilla Chamomile

This one was pretty interesting. I’m not much for earthy teas, but this blend was definitely very filling and warming. The honey and vanilla in this tea made it taste sweet and almost buttery. 

Tips from a beginner to a beginner

When you’re trying to find teas to buy, look for sampler packs at the store. These will have a couple of different kinds of blends in one box. This is a great way to figure out which flavors you prefer without having to buy a whole box of a blend that you may not even like.

I always stir a spoonful of honey in with my tea. This helps sweeten and flavor the tea while also soothing the throat.

Drinking tea has been a great way for me to relax and expand my hot beverage horizons lately, so I hope you give some of these blends a try. As always, 

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Morgan G.