A Cup of Holiday Tea

With the arrival of the holidays come all sorts of delicious scents and flavors . There are certain things that just instantly taste like Christmas. Peppermint, cinnamon, cranberry, pine, nutmeg, chocolate, and orange get added to every food and beverage out there, offering a whole lot of nostalgia as you eat and drink your way through the holidays. I especially enjoy indulging in holiday themed cocktails and sweets. Gimmie!

Warm beverages are also a very nice, comforting way to enjoy an evening during the busy holiday season. I love sitting on my couch, my hands cradling a festively designed mug of a steamy drink, in the quiet glow of my Christmas tree. (Or trees, because I put one in every single room of my house.) For me, I enjoy the way coffee smells but can’t stand the taste, and cocoa is always a little too rich for my liking, so I am a tea girl. Wonderfully scented, steaming cups of holiday joy!

Here are some of my favorite Christmas teas. Try them out and enjoy a cup while peacefully soaking in the warm glow of your tree or a conversation with someone you love.

1. Hot and Sassy Cinnamon (Blooming With Joy Tea): This chai style tea is naturally sweet (no additional sugar required) and heavy on the cinnamon. (Basically, imagine a warm cup of liquefied Hot Tamales.) The tea blend combines orange, cinnamon, and clove to create an instant Christmas scent and flavor. Boom!

2. Festive As F*** (Snarky Tea): As the girls at Snarky Tea say, this is definitely a tea to cure your resting Grinch face. This pu’erh tea smells and tastes just like a Terry’s Chocolate orange. (Careful not to whack your mug on the table!) The story written on the tea tin alone is worth it. But I enjoy this one because it reminds me of stocking stuffers and cozy Christmas mornings.

3. Earl Claus (The London Tea Merchant): Earl Grey is my favorite everyday tea. I love the combination of black tea and bergamot hot or iced… or even in a London Fog latte. This holiday version adds mulling spices and vanilla to make it extra festive. (Try it out at one of The London Tea Room‘s holiday afternoon teas. It is a wonderful way to spend time with a treasured friend and enjoy great tea and food.)

4. Sip and Be Merry (Republic of Tea): I came across this tea a few years ago at Halcyon Spa during a holiday open house and fell in love. It’s a delicious, silky black tea with hints of cardamom, vanilla, and caramel.

5. Gingerbread (Teavana): So, technically this tea doesn’t exist anymore. Sadly, several years ago Starbucks bought Teavana and killed it. (A few select teabag flavors is not my idea of keeping the brand around.) This was once my favorite holiday tea… a delightful holiday spiced tea, containing all sorts of interesting ingredients, including bits of caramel corn. When the store was in its last days, I bought a 3 pound bag at 80% off and have been doling it out gingerly (pun intended) for a few Christmases. I will be so sad when it meets its end.

6. Holiday Tea Selections (DavidsTea): Each year DavidsTea releases a whole collection of holiday teas… some which return annually, while others are available for one season and never return (which makes me very sad.) Fireside Mocha was one of my favorites last year. It’s roasty and chocolatey and good. (Of course it didn’t return this year, but you can still find it on DavidsTea’s site right now on sale.) Many of their seasonal flavors focus on mint, which I am not a fan of. However, this year DavidsTea introduced Glitter Chai (that actually sparkles) and Juniper Joy (an herbaceous tea reminiscent of gin) that I have fallen in love with. (So you know, it will be gone next Christmas!)

How much holiday tea do I need? The answer is… unlimited. Hopefully in this collection, you find something that will bring you comfort and joy too. Happy sipping!