Don’t get me wrong, I love a hot cup of coffee in the morning as much as the next person, but tea has always held a special spot in my heart. I love a good iced tea, some tea with lemonade and a nice steaming cup of tea just before bed or on a chilly morning. Tea has been an integral part of life since high school when one of my friends introduced me to my first cup of tea!
I thought I would share a few of my favorite straight teas, as well as my favorite combinations! Whether you like sugar or a strong cuppa I got the fix for you to curl up with book and enjoy!
First up is one of my favorite drinks from Biggby Coffee about 5 years ago! They had the genius idea to create an Arnold Palmer of sorts, with this Harney & Sons Chinese Flower tea. It was incredible.
Here is what you need to make this tea:
- 16 or 20oz cup
- Boiling Water
- Ice
- Lemonade (my favorite is Simply Lemonade)
- Lavender Syrup (I love Monin but there are lots of others)
- Harney and Sons Chinese Flower Tea
And here’s the process to create that:
- Fill your cup with ice.
- Boil water.
- Once water is boiled put 2 tea bags in a mug and fill (steep about 8oz for the 20oz cup and 6oz for the 16oz cup for 5-8 minutes).
- In your cup of ice, add 1-2 pumps of lavender syrup.
- Add tea to the cup.
- Top off with lemonade.
- Mix it all up and enjoy!
This is a very refreshing tea, full of flavor and perfect for a spring/summer day. Or if you need a pick me up in the winter, this would do the trick for sure!
On to probably my all time favorite drink, matcha lemonade! I adore matcha lemonade and it took me a while to get the Starbucks-ish “recipe” figured out. This was not beaus it’s hard to create, but because I couldn’t find a matcha I loved for this. After A LOT of trial and error I found Matcha Love on Amazon and it was perfect!
Here’s what you need:
- Lemonade
- Matcha (I recommend Matcha Love Barista blend but you can use what you prefer.)
How to make:
- I like to take a 16 or 20oz cup and fill halfway with ice.
- Next I fill to the top with lemonade.
- If 16oz add 1 TBSP of Matcha if 20oz at 2 TBSP.
- Put lid on, cover straw hole and shake for 20-30 seconds.
- Put the straw in and enjoy!
This is such a light and refreshing drink and whether it is summer or winter it is a go to for me! I love it on the weekends as my sugary treat while I read and unwind from the stress of the work week!
How about some classic tea? I remember the very first time I tried Irish Breakfast Tea and I was hooked! I had the Twinnings Irish Breakfast tea in college for the first time and I was hooked. Since then I have updated how I enjoy mine so no instructions here. Let me just say, you CANNOT beat oat milk with sugar mixed into this tea. It is delicious and caffeinated and PERFECT for anyone trying to go for tea instead of coffee in the morning. I 10/10 recommend this if you want to give tea a try!
Here’s what you need:
- Irish Breakfast Tea (I like Twinnings but anything will do)
- Oatmilk (I honestly love the Aldi brand the best!)
- Sugar (any kind you want and however much you want)
Again, it’s delicious and perfect for a chilly morning in the fall or winter. I can’t recommend it enough if you are hoping to cross over from coffee to tea.
Last but not least is a new one for me – an Apple Pie Chai and some delicious honey! I am late to the chai game but I love the “spiciness” of it. If you have ever had any kind of chai you know what I mean by spiciness, as chai has a delicious spice taste to it because of the tea leaves. If you have never tried chai, the Apple Pie Chai from The Republic of Tea is a great place to start! I also usually don’t like honey in my tea, but Chai Spice Honey is amazing in this chai tea. If you want a warm and cozy fall drink this is it!
Here’s what you need:
- Chai (I love Apple Pie Chai)
- Honey (check out the Chai Spice Honey!)
- A splash of milk if you want it!
This is such a great fall/winter drink! It is cozy and delicious and sure to warm you up on a cool day!
Okay – that’s what I have for you friends! Go out, make tea, read a book and enjoy life!
Joyfully Jacquie 