As tea lovers can attest, drinking tea is more than a simple routine. It’s a way to commune with oneself. It can act like a metronome to our days, reminding us to take a work break or signaling that it’s time to unwind after a long day.
Despite the comfort that our favorite drinks bring us – it’s worth branching out every once in a while – even if it’s just in the name of adventure! There are of course the crowd favorites, from the fresh aromas of a sencha to the rich and bitter flavor of an English breakfast. It can be difficult to know how to branch out beyond the classics, especially when you’re new to exploring the world of tea.
This guide will give you ideas of what teas to try next based on the classics that you love and know. It’s time to expand your tea horizon.
Black Tea Enthusiasts
English Breakfast is one of the most common black tea blends on the market. Black teas are known for having higher caffeine levels and a wide range of inflammation fighting properties. It might come as a surprise to find out that the beloved English Breakfast is actually a medley of three black teas that can stand on their own: Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya. If you enjoy English Breakfast, as a way to expand your tea horizon and palate, venture out and mix it up with these three black teas:
- Assam
- Golden Buds
- Keemun
Green Tea Admirers
Sencha is a traditional green tea and one of the most commercially reproduced teas. If you love green tea and order it off menus without specification, it’s likely you’re drinking sencha! The word sencha translates to “steamed.” This green tea variation is crafted by steaming the leaves in order to stop the oxidation process and preserving its green color and grassy and fresh flavor.
For green tea and sencha admirers, we suggest mixing it up with:
- Gyokuro
- Dragonwell (soft & nutty flavor)
- Gen Mai Cha (sencha with toasted rice)
White Tea Devotee
White teas are loved for their delicate flavor profiles and long list of health benefits. Silver Needle and White Peony are two of the most premium quality white teas out there and are known for their shimmery gold color and woodsy flavors. The main distinction from green tea is that white tea leaves are left out to dry naturally and are harvested earlier in the year.
White Peony teas are great for crafting blends because of their full-bodied flavor. For white tea lovers, we suggest mixing your tea routine up with these white tea blends and blooming teas, too:
- Halo Blooming Tea
- White Guava Ginger
- White Coconut Creme
Coffee Drinkers
Coffee is delicious and its caffeine properties are undoubtedly stronger than its tea counterparts. We are not here to convince you to annex your morning coffee! That being said, more caffeine does not always equate to improved concentration and energy levels. Too much caffeine can actually lead to unwanted side effects, including restless nights, anxiety, caffeine jitters, dry skin, and more. Despite that, caffeine is still a major influence when people are deciding to drink coffee over tea.
Read more on caffeine and tea on our blog post Energy With Focus: Caffeine + Tea
Many experts have debunked the common concern that switching one’s morning beverage to a less caffeine-heavy drink will decrease their mental alertness throughout the day. For that reason, coffee drinkers we suggest mixing it up with these teas to maximize your caffeine intake while reducing those unwanted side effects:
- Awaken (our coffee-tea blend with hojicha and roasted oolong)
- Pu–erh (try our Loose Leaf Shou
- Hojicha (lightly roasted tea stems with mild caffeine and full body nutty flavor)
