The Fall & Winter Collection
Warming Teas for Fall & Winter
Somewhere between the first cool morning and the first snow, the kettle starts going on a little earlier and staying on a little longer. These are the warming teas we reach for all season: deep chai, fruit-and-spice blends, golden black teas and roasted favorites.
New this season
Cinnamon Sugarplum
Plum leads the cup, ripe and round, with bright hibiscus and currants close behind. Cinnamon arrives late and lingers in the finish, the way it does in a good holiday kitchen. A little licorice root lends a gentle, natural sweetness, so there is no added sugar here, just fruit and spice doing what they do best in cold weather.
It is caffeine-free, which makes it an easy companion for evenings, and the hibiscus brews it a deep red that looks as warm as it tastes.
Brew: 1½ teaspoons per 8 oz of just-boiled water, 5–7 minutes. It won't turn bitter if you forget it for a while.
Meet Cinnamon Sugarplum
An old friend returns
Winter Spice
If this season had a scent, it might be mulled cider simmering on the stove. Winter Spice is one of our longest-standing winter blends, built from apple, cinnamon, cloves and rose hips. It tastes like the moment you come in from the cold and your hands finally thaw around a mug.
Caffeine-free and generous with flavor, it is the kind of cup that turns a snowy evening into an occasion.
Brew: 1½ teaspoons per 8 oz of just-boiled water, 5–7 minutes. Lovely with a slice of orange, or steeped double-strength and stirred into warm apple cider.
Shop Winter SpiceThe chai shelf
Spice, simmered
In much of India, chai is less a drink than a rhythm of the day. These blends carry that warmth, whether you simmer them on the stove with milk or steep them in a mug.
Roch-Cha-Chai®
Our house masala chai: bold Assam and aromatic spices, named for the city we call home.
Chai of Good Hope
All the depth of chai on a rooibos base, so you can enjoy a spiced cup well after dark.
Samba Chai
India meets Brazil: grassy yerba mate warmed with a zesty chai spice blend.
Assam Bold CTC
Making chai at home with your own spices? Start here. These small CTC granules brew strong and malty, and stand up beautifully to milk, sugar and spice.
Dark mornings
Golden cups for gray days
When the sun rises late and sets early, a fuller black tea earns its place. These are rich and round, with notes of honey, malt, fruit and even smoke (or, campfire).
Golden Osmanthus
Keemun perfumed with golden osmanthus blossoms: ripe stone fruit, wildflower honey and a soft floral finish.
Okayti Muscatel
The celebrated muscatel of a Darjeeling second flush: ripe grape, stone fruit and a hint of rose in a deep amber cup.
Lapsang Souchong
Robust black tea dried over pine wood smoke. A campfire in a cup.
Peachy Ginger Delight
Black tea with fruity, spicy accents: a taste of summer orchards on a winter morning.
Evening cups
Ginger, root and leaf
When the days shorten, many of us want the warmth of tea without the caffeine. These herbal blends lean on ginger's gentle heat and are made for later hours.
Holy Ginger
Fragrant holy basil and ginger, spicy-sweet and quietly aromatic.
Ginger Turmeric
Earthy turmeric, a staple of Indian kitchens, brightened with warming ginger.
Ginger Honey
Honeybush, ginger, clove and cinnamon, with licorice for a soft, honeyed sweetness.
Raspberry Spice
Raspberry, apple and hibiscus with a quiet kick of turmeric and pepper: tangy, naturally sweet and warming.
By the fire
Roasted and toasted
Fire has shaped some of the world's most comforting teas. Roasting draws out notes of cocoa, stone fruits and toasted grain, and softens the leaf into something mellow and round. These are the teas for a snowy Sunday with nowhere to be.
A few things we've learned
Brewing for colder days
01
Warm the cup first
A splash of hot water swirled through your mug or pot before brewing keeps the tea from losing its heat the moment it lands. It is a small ritual, and on cold winter mornings you'll notice the difference.
02
Give spice its time
Fruit and spice blends like Cinnamon Sugarplum and Winter Spice have no tea leaf to turn bitter, so let them steep a full five to seven minutes. The cinnamon and clove need that time to infuse.
03
Simmer your chai
For a proper cup of chai, simmer a heaping teaspoon of Roch-Cha-Chai® in half water, half milk for four to five minutes, then strain and sweeten to taste, the way chai is made on stovetops across India. Blending your own spices? Use Assam Bold CTC as the base; its strong, malty cup is made for exactly this.
Something alongside
A little something with your cup
Come in from the cold
Stop by and smell the season
The best way to choose a winter tea is still the old way: lift the lid, breathe in, and talk it over. If you are in Rochester, NY drop in to our shop at 696 South Avenue in the South Wedge. We have every tea in this collection ready to smell and taste, and our team is always happy to help you find your cup, or the right one for someone on your list. If you live outside Rochester, please call us or send us an email. We will be delighted to help you!
Hand-packed in Rochester in compostable pouches. As members of 1% for the Planet, we give back to environmental causes with every sale.