The winter season is known for its snowy weather, sparse landscape, and the busy holidays. Some people find it to be pleasantly crisp and peaceful, while others might feel a bit glum and chilled. The good news is that we have found the best tea for winter to warm up, heal up, and cheer up this season.
Ginger Root Tea
Ginger tea was one of the herbal teas that got me started exploring the wide world of tea. The recipe is super simple: peel and chop fresh ginger root into one-inch pieces and boil in hot water until the brew reaches your desired flavor strength. My family would brew big batches of this tea and fill up a couple of thermoses to bring with us out into the snow for winter bonfires. The ginger root has a distinctive hot, spicy bite that warms you up from the inside out, with an herbal-sweet, lemony undertone. I love my ginger extra spicy, but if this brew gets too heated for your tastes, it pairs well with a dollop of sweet honey.
I can’t always have that much fresh ginger laying around, so I keep a dried ginger tea like the Rejuvenation blend in my cupboard year-round. It also works beautifully with Just Ginger tea.
Hibiscus Tea
The best tea for winter might be a hibiscus blend. Dark red hibiscus blossoms brew up into rich magenta tea with a sweet-sour fruity tang. Brewed warm, hibiscus tea has bright citrus and red-berry notes like a cranberry Christmas punch, or warm mulled wine. Check out the Happy Hour hibiscus herbal blend or cranberry/hibiscus combination in the seasonal Holiday Embrace herbal chai to try the flavors for yourself.
If hot hibiscus tea isn’t your thing, there are lots of delicious ways to brew iced hibiscus tea instead, like in a batch of sangria or as a cold brew.
Hot Toddy
Whether you’re feeling under the weather or just need an emotional pick-me-up, a hot toddy can be a great way to bring some comfort and warmth. Traditionally brewed with something hot (tea, infusion, or water), a choice of alcohol, and mulling spices, the combinations of flavors are almost endless. If you don’t drink alcohol, you can still brew up a special cup of spiced tea with a loose leaf tea of your choosing, a dash of lemon juice, honey, and mulling spices, served hot and strong.
Get a crash course in making a hot toddy here. Once you get the hang of it, try a more creative twist.
I prefer to make a hot toddy with a tea that has some citrus and spice already mixed in the loose leaf, like the spicy, orange Comfort Blend, the sweet and spicy Rainy Day Puerh, or the aptly-named Vanilla Toddy black tea. To bring that sweet citrus and spice flavor to the forefront, you can even serve the tea with a slice of juicy orange and a whole cinnamon stick.
Soup Teas
What are soup teas? Sometimes called sipping broth, these are savory blends of herbs and spices that you brew like a cup of tea. Whether in a teabag or like loose leaf, you’re just a cup of hot water away from warm, spicy flavor. Busy people who are on their feet all day for work have recommended this beverage/snack hybrid for those days when you can’t get more than one hand free for lunch. If you can’t find any soup teas at a store near you, give these warm winter soups a try in the meantime.
For a more savory herbal tea, try the Sage Wellness sage and citrus blend or the Meadow Walk rosemary and lavender blend.
Teas for your Resolution
The winter season also means New Year’s Eve and New Year’s resolutions. If you’re trying to be healthier in the new year, the best tea for winter might be green tea. If you’re cutting coffee but still need a caffeine kick in the pants, be sure to order some Kitchen Table Blend. Set your intentions for the year with the passionfruit-forward Abundance Blend or the soothing blueberry flavors of Easy to Be green tea.
Hot, iced, as green tea shots, in a latte, or in your uber-healthy fruit and green smoothie, green tea might just be your new best friend and the best tea for winter. Not to mention, you’ll get a healthy boost of antioxidants as well.
Chai Tea
Bring on the spice! The best tea for winter is chai with all its cinnamon and ginger glory. Great on its own, with honey, or brewed as a latte, chai is versatile, flavorful, and comforting. The great news about the winter season is that there are more chai blends than the rest of the year, with lots of special chai teas just for the winter. Try Full Moon Chai, which blends vanilla and butternuts alongside the usual cinnamon and spice. Or feel a touch of spring with the Portland Rose City Chai, a blend of black tea, spices, lemongrass, and rose petals.
If you need some other ideas for winter drinks, check out these recommendations from other tea-fanatics at Plum Deluxe. Whatever you choose to brew up in your mug, be sure to find some warmth, peace, and spice this winter season.
