Apparently January is Hot Tea Month which I am a hundred percent behind because I drink tea every single day. Most American's need their morning up of coffee, but I go straight to my tea cupboard which is packed with tea and mugs to the point where I also have some boxes on the kitchen counter. This post is going to be a list of my favorite teas and the brands I typically buy on repeat. I do enjoy new teas on occasion, but these are the ones I either plan on buying again or have bought for years.
Morning/Afternoon Teas
When I wake up I normally have a cup of tea (or two) with breakfast. I
tend to use my Keurig basically as a kettle. The Keurig does the same
thing as a kettle would but it just isn't as aesthetically pleasing (to
me) as a kettle. My morning and day time tea is normally between two
types of tea that I always have in my cupboard.
PG Tips
Two sugars and some sort of creamer (milk or powdered creamer). Keep the tea bag in.
PG Tips is probably my favorite tea, if I had to choose. Black tea is my favorite type of tea, I don't think I have tried a black tea I didn't at least enjoy if I didn't love it. I went to the U.K. in high school for our senior trip and when I got tea one morning I saw a box of PG Tips, I tried it, and loved it. When I got back to Maine and I started finding it in grocery stores I was so excited but it didn't become a regular in my morning routine until about a year ago. I really enjoy the triangular tea bags and the lack of a string/tag. I prefer it because there isn't a staple possibly falling into my tea, plus it steeps better and is lack of a hassle when using a thermos.
Twinings Irish Breakfast
Two sugars, black (but milk/powdered creamer could work sometimes), and leave the tea bag in. 
Twinings Irish Breakfast tea has been something I have been drinking since high school. Before I started bringing PG Tips into my routine this was my favorite tea and the one I drank the most. It has a lot of caffeine for tea, so I tend to go to this tea when I need a pick me up. It also is my favorite smelling tea. The first smell when you open a brand new box is one of my favorite smells of all time.Evening Teas
If it's after dinner I try to stay away from teas with caffeine unless I
need to stay up later than my usual time. These are my favorite
decaffeinated teas that I drink most evenings.
Signature Tea Company: Chamomile
Two sugars, black, and leave the tea bag in.
Signature Tea Company's Chamomile tea is one of my favorite for if it's really late and I want something warm to help me sleep. It's got a really great flavor and like the PG Tips it doesn't have a string or tag so right away that makes me happy. I do not drink this tea too often because I save it for when I am having either anxiety problems or sleeping problems but it never fails me. I also enjoy the circular shape of the tea bags. It always looks nice at the bottom of a mug.
Sleepytime: Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Tea
I have pretty bad nightmares, and even worse issues falling back to sleep after the nightmares. However, ever since I started drinking this tea every night before bed it has helped keep me in a deep enough sleep that the nightmares are not as frequent, or at least do not wake me up in the middle of the night. It tastes great and makes my body feel so relaxed that I feel like I could melt.
Teavana: Youthberry & Wild Orange Blossom
Seep for 5 minutes, black, and a teaspoon of German rock sugar.
A friend of mine got my boyfriend and I this little sampling kit this Christmas of Youthberry & Wild Orange Blossom and Maharaja Chai Oolong & Samurai Chai Mate. My boyfriend loves the Samurai Chai, so he drinks that but I fell in love with the Youthberry the moment I tasted it. I love Teavana's teas so much but my first visit I fell in love with the Golden Monkey Black tea they have, which was so expensive ($20 for 2 ounces) I haven't really gone back. I assumed they were all really expensive and I couldn't really afford it. However, after looking it up the Youthberry tea is half the price (10 for 2 ounces) of the delicious Golden Monkey so I can easily find myself buying it again if I am visiting the mall. It's so orange-y. It's the only way I can explain it. I love orange teas so much, but the one I have (Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Herbal) works better as a cold tea vs. a hot one.
Tazo Zen
Two sugars, black, and leave in tea bag
This tea is possibly one of the most refreshing tea's I have had. I think the spearmint just makes it so nice and soothing. I do not drink this tea as much as I used to, but when I do I drink it either in the afternoon or in the mornings where I am not in the mood for black tea. Which is rare but it occasionally happens. The green tea and spearmint just work really well together and it's a tea I like traveling with because it is very energizing. Dessert Teas
When I eat cookies, cake, or any type of baked goods I love having a cup of tea with it. Sometimes I will go for PG Tips or Irish Breakfast but here are a few others I also go to when I want something warm with sweets. It's one of the only times I drink caffeinated tea late at night.Bigelow Salted Caramel Tea
Two sugars, black, and keep the tea bag in.
This tea was given to me by my best friend for Christmas of 2015 and I absolutely fell in love with it. It's the perfect plain caramel tea. I drink this tea when I want something sweet by itself. It tasted just as it should and I recommend it to everyone who loves caramel as much as I do.
Bigelow Vanilla Caramel Tea
Two sugars, black, and leave the tea bag in.
I have been drinking this tea pretty regularly for the last decade. I used to drink it every morning before high school and I'd bring tea bags with me to have at school also. I love the rich black tea with the vanilla and caramel flavors. I drink this tea a lot when I have toast or cookies.
Bigelow Earl Grey
Two sugars, black, and leave the tea bag in.
This is another tea I have been drinking for a long time. I have always loved Earl Grey and I've been drinking it since high school. I think this is the tea I go to the most when I want something warm with a dessert of some kind. Earl Grey always seems like a dessert tea to me. I like it with desserts that I am going to dunk. Sick Teas
I get sick pretty often, from colds to stomach aches. When I am sick
one of my biggest comforts is hot tea. It warms my insides and instantly
makes me feel more relaxed. I have a handful of teas I typically reach
for when I am not feeling very well.
Celestral Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea
Two sugars, black, and leave in the tea bag
This is the tea I drink when I am having a stomach ache, or I am having period cramps. Peppermint makes my stomach always feel better. Sometimes if my anxiety is getting so badly that I am having issues taking full breaths or if I have a tightness in my chest this is the tea I go to. It's really comforting and I highly recommend any brand of peppermint tea for period cramps. The majority of the time when I am drinking this tea it's because of my period. I rely so heavily on it. This is another tea without strings or tags.
Tazo Green Ginger Tea
Two sugars, black, and leave the tea bag in. 
This green ginger tea is really ginger-y. If you even a little don't like ginger I would recommend staying away from this tea. When I have a cold or a stomach ache I go to this tea. It's really strong and at times I treat it more like medicine than a comforting drink. I don't mind the taste, but I mostly drink it because I know it settles my stomach, helps my throat, and opens my sinuses.
Lipton Lemon and Ginger Tea
Two sugars, black, and leave the tea bag in.
I go to this tea when the Tazo Green Ginger is just too strong for me. It's very sweet and soothing. I use this mostly when I am having a sore throat. I like drinking it when it's really hot for my throat because it always makes my throat feel better. I got a bad cold a couple months ago and this tea saved my life. I could barely talk and this was the only thing keeping me from losing my voice all together.
I'm a total sucker for PG Tips tea!
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's the tea I drink the most!
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