Features

Since January is National Hot Tea Month, it’s the perfect time to enjoy a cup of a favorite tea or to gather with friends for an impromptu tea party. Here are a few fun ideas for how to best celebrate this preferred beverage.

• Find a nearby tea tasting at a local tearoom, tea bar, or tea lounge, and try something new. If you’re normally a black tea lover, don’t be afraid to sip a few green teas. Or if you’re strictly a tea-only drinker, venture a tisane. Learn how to brew each, from white to oolong, under our infusions tab.
• Host a cream tea for your friends. Easier than a full afternoon-tea menu, a cream tea is simply scones, clotted cream, assorted jams, and, of course, a steaming pot of tea!
• Or try a new recipe from our indulgences section, such as Black Olive Scones with Pesto Cream, Chicken Salad with Citrus Salsa, or Raspberry Cakes with Green Tea Buttercream. Any of these are ideal for your next tea function.
• Introduce someone to the joys of tea. Take a co-worker to their first tearoom experience, or invite neighbors to stop by for tea and conversation. Enjoy this much cherished respite with those around you.
• Order a new loose-leaf variety from a recommended tea company you’ve been meaning to sample. Branch out from the brands at your local grocery; instead, search online and in the pages of our magazine for new types to try. 
• Send out invitations to a tea party that pays homage to the drink. Serve a wide range of teas for guests to taste, from flowering teas to sencha. Supply pens and paper so they can keep track of and compare their impressions, or check out tea-themed books from your library for your guests to peruse as they sip. 

However it’s commemorated, National Hot Tea Month provides tea lovers with just one more reason to brew yet another delightful cup.