Classic Teas with an Herbal Twist

Hello dear reader!

The long nights are about to begin and we will soon be in the dark half of the year. This is the beginning of the magical season. A time when ghost stories are told around a fire and the veil begins to thin. During this season, we tend to lean more towards the classic teas like black teas and rooibos.

Today we have some fun and interesting tea ideas for you. They are classic teas with an herbal twist, which makes them so much more interesting! The recipes are super simple to make, as you are basically just adding an herb to a loose tea. Feel free to play around and discover your own unique blend! We find these teas are wonderful to serve at a Gothic Tea Party.

For the love of lavender

Our first tea is a comforting favorite of ours. It’s really lovely at the end of a hectic day, and helps begin the relaxation process to melt off the stress.

Red Lavender Tea

• 3 parts loose Red Rooibos tea
• 1 part dried organic Lavender Flowers

See how simple that is? However, don’t let the simplistic nature of this blend fool you! It is a delightfully smooth tea with a strong body. The aromatic headiness of the Lavender flowers are close to intoxicating. We like to garnish this tea with a small sprig of Lavender, but add whatever you feel is right for you!

This next tea combines two of our favorite flavors. While Earl Grey on it own is wonderful, the hint of Lavender adds a calmness to the overall taste.

Lavender Earl Grey

• 3 parts loose Earl Grey tea
• 1 part dried organic Lavender Flowers

Again, super simple but this one addition creates a whole new layer of flavour. The Lavender blends so nicely with the Bergamot that makes Earl Grey. Moreover, you can add some organic Vanilla to your blend and create something else entirely.  In fact, if you steam some almond milk in this cup of tea, you have your own London Fog Latte!

Spice things up a bit!

Our last two teas are just as easy to prepare. These have spices added for an enveloping warmth that are sure to keep you cozy in the coldest months. We find that these are very comforting, on many levels, because the spices used can help sooth your throat or ease your stomach. They also have a dreamy aroma that feels like you are wrapped in a hug.

Black Cinnamon Tea

This one measures a bit differently.  All you need to do is brew a pot of black tea and add 1 Cinnamon Stick per cup of tea.

We like Darjeeling for its rich flavour as well as the fact that it boosts the immune system, prevents heart disease and calms the mind and body.

For the Cinnamon, there are two choices.  Most commonly found in grocery stores, Cassia is the more common and budget friendly choice. However, this type of Cinnamon can be toxic if consumed in large amounts too frequently.  On the other hand, your second choice is Ceylon. Its origins are in Sri Lanka and it is a bit more expensive. If you plan on dinking this tea often, invest in the Ceylon. That all being said, Cassia is absolutely fine to use in this tea (especially for a tea party aka special occasion). If you want to utilize this tea for health benefits regularly though, Ceylon is the one to use.

Savory Rosemary Sage Black Tea

• 5 parts loose black tea (we like Darjeeling)
• 1 part fresh organic Rosemary Needles
• 1 part fresh organic Sage Leaves

You can adjust the amounts to your taste, just remember not to go too heavy on the herbs, you want a delicate flavour balance.

Bonus benefit to this tea, Sage and Rosemary have been shown to improve cognitive function, help manage anxiety and stress and elevate your mood. Using them together creates a synergistic effect, making their benefits even stronger.

How to make, store & brew your teas

Using dried herbs, mix all ingredients together in a bowl large enough for thorough blending. With the measurements listed in “parts”, you can choose the measurement depending on how much of a batch you want to make. So, if you want to make a large batch, you can translate “parts” into “cups”. To make a smaller batch, you can make the parts tablespoons or teaspoons.  For example: 1 part = 1 cup  OR  1 part = 1 teaspoon.

Store in an airtight container (we like these Mason Jars).

• One cup of tea: 1 – 2 teaspoons in a tea ball (we like this one) or reusable teabag (like these)
• To take on the go: 3 – 4 teaspoons into the tea strainer of your 17 oz Bamboo Tumbler
• If you’re serving this at your tea party:
  • 32 oz pot: 5 -6 teaspoons in a tea ball (we like this one)
  • 64 oz pot: 10 – 11 teaspoons in a tea ball (we like this one)
• If you like a stronger flavor tea, use the higher measurement. Steep in boiling water for up to 20 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.

Where to get the ingredients

We source our herbs from different places. We love to support our local organic food co-op, but we also buy in bulk online. You can get all of these ingredients at either Starwest Botanicals or Mountain Rose Herbs. Both of these companies sell organic, ethically sourced herbs, spices and teas.

Learn more!

If you’d like to learn about how to make these and many other awesome herbal remedies, drop us an email at [email protected]  and put CHESTNUT in the subject line. We’ll give you a special code (exclusively for our readers!) for 10% off the price of a course at Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. It’s where we got our certification in Herbal Medicine Making, and our go to source for help in formulating remedies we create for our families and ourselves.

Disclaimer:

We aren’t medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal remedies, particularly if you have a known medical condition or are pregnant or nursing. Please read our full disclaimer here.

Disclosure:

We only recommend products that we have used or would use ourselves. This post may contain affiliate links that, at absolutely ZERO cost to you, may earn us a small commission. Please read our full disclosure here.