When you have a house full of people, or an intimate family gathering, there’s nothing cozier and inviting than a table full of holiday herbal tea. Folks can help themselves, and gravitate towards whichever warming, delicious scent they choose. Serving a buffet of herbal teas throughout the day is one of my go-to holiday practices. It’s warm and cozy. Extremely inexpensive. And some have the added benefit of supporting digestion, relaxation, and energy, too.
My tea cupboards are always filled with a variety of organic teas from Mountain Rose Herbs. They have an herbal tea for practically any occasion and need, and every single one is absolutely decadent and delicious, providing a full body sensory experience. Always organically and ethically sourced, hand crafted, and in small batches, these are some of my favorite, treasured tea choices for holiday gatherings.
Favorite Herbal Teas for Holiday Gatherings
Orange Spice – Ideal for the morning or early afternoon, this warm and soothing Ceylon tea blend is accompanied with orange peel, cinnamon chips and clove to give it a delicious seasonal yule flavor. A perfect substitution for coffee, it contains a bit of caffeine, but not too much! I love throwing some of this in a French press in the morning, and straining after 5 minutes for the perfect morning brew.
Honeybush – A naturally sweet tea that’s fruity and delicious! I like to brew this in a glass tea pot because the amber red color is just so gorgeous. This is such an easily sip-able tea for anytime of day. It tastes like a smooth combination of berries, roses and honey. (Loved by kids, too!)
Mint – The perfect after dinner pot of tea. The Mint Tea from Mountain Rose Herbs is a combination of peppermint and spearmint, bursting with aromatic, fresh fragrance that will fill up the entire room. Mint helps to aid digestion, so this is an ideal choice to serve after the larger holiday meals. Tastes perfect alone, or with a bit of lemon and honey for added sweetness.
Chamomile – Aromatic and flavorful, simple chamomile flowers are a family favorite. With a calming nervine effect, this is my preferred tea to serve in the evenings to ease everyone into relaxation and deep sleep (especially children). I always serve this with a bit of honey, and a slice of lemon.
Peace – This herbal tea formula is so stunningly beautiful, I place a bowl of the herbs out for display that folks can draw from. The herbalists at Mountain Rose Herbs formulated this blend to cultivating gratitude, happiness, and wisdom, keeping in mind the need for balance and rest in our busy lives. Combining chamomile, spearmint, lavender, rose petals, cinnamon bark and passionflower, this is a crowd favorite for it’s gentle, joyful quality, and spark of floral flavor.
Want an herbal beverage with a little more kick? Read More: Ginger Spiked Chamomile & Lemon Hot Toddy
DIY Holiday Tea Making for Kids
So, a favorite magical project for kids during holiday gatherings is for them to make their own little tea formula. Let their inner wizards shine.
Supplies: Small mixing bowls / Muslin bags / wooden scoops / Single herbs safe for kids such as chamomile, rosehips, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, nettle, marshmallow, rose petals, lavender, oat straw.
How-to: Set out a collection of small bowls and fill each with a single herb. Let the kids choose 2-4 herbs to add to their own bowl (about 1 teaspoon of each herb). Once they’ve chosen their herbs, let them gently mix them up in their bowls with their hands or a spoon. Add their formula to a muslin bag and make a little label with the ingredients. And now they have their own special magic tea blend. Add 1 teaspoon of their formula to 1-2 cups of warm water and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and enjoy. *Ideally this is a project for children 8 years and older.
Read More: Choosing Safe Herbs for Kids
PS – the cookies shown here are the Double Ginger Molasses Cookies sweetened with coconut sugar from Will Frolic for Food. These seasonally spiced, soft, delicious cookies are packed with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla – all of which are available at Mountain Rose Herbs!
