The Best Teas to Drink in Winter

Are you looking for something to hydrate you this winter and warm you from the inside out? Read on for the 5 best teas to drink in winter time.

Right now, the weather is cold, the air is dry, and my body is screaming for hydration. But good grief, I have the hardest time drinking water in winter time! So how do I stay hydrated when I don’t want H2O? I drink tea! It’s delicious and warming, and many teas boast of amazing health benefits.

A bonus of choosing to regularly drink tea in winter is the ritual you can create around preparing your tea. When I say ritual, I simply mean a time you’ve set aside as personal and special. There’s just something about picking out the right mug for your mood. Then pouring in the hot water and watching how the tea changes it. Finally, the moment when you hold the mug in your hands before the first sip. So good! For me, drinking tea is as much about replenishing my body as it is about replenishing my soul. Can anyone else relate?

But before I dive into the tea list, here’s a look at the equipment I use to get the most enjoyment out of each cup.

Tea Brewing Equipment

After years of striving to reach tea snobbery, I finally feel like I have the tea brewing equipment I want and need. Below is what I use to make the 5 best teas to drink in winter. But you can absolutely make them all with just a pot and a stovetop.

• Electric water kettle
• Stovetop-safe glass teapot kettle
• IngenuiTEA Teapot
• Tea spoon
• Small food strainer
• Kitchen funnel

So, without further ado, here are what I’ve found to be the BEST teas to drink in winter.

Classic Chai Latte

This suggestion is the only caffeinated tea on my list, and I love it’s full-bodied flavor. It’s also easy to prepare, as I just use a pre-mixed blend. But you could always create your own by starting with a plain black tea and adding the spices you love. If I’m looking for some extra warming and kick, I’ll even add a few additional spices.

Classic Chai Latte Tea for Winter: Ingredients

• 1.5 tsp Chai tea (I love The Tao of Tea’s 500 Mile Chai **not sponsored**)
• 2 thin slices of ginger root (optional)
• 3 cardamom pods (option)
• Honey
• Oat milk

Classic Chai Latte Brewing Instructions

• Add the tea and herbs together into your pot or tea strainer
• Gently add boiling water and let steep for 3 minutes
• Strain tea and pour into your favorite mug
• Stir in sweetener to taste (optional)
• Add your favorite milk or cream to taste (optional)

Rooibos Chai

When I want the delicious spices of a chai, but not the caffeine, I go for a rooibos chai. I find this tea has a natural sweetness and often drink it without any honey. Plus, it’s color is absolutely beautiful.

Rooibos Chai Latte Tea for Winter: Ingredients

• 2 tsp Rooibos chai tea (try out Davidson’s Tea, Organic Spiced Rooibos Chai **not sponsored**)
• 2 thin slices of ginger root
• Oat milk

Rooibos chai Brewing Instructions

• Add tea & ginger (optional) to a pot or stovetop-safe tea kettle
• Boil water with the tea for 5 minutes
• Strain tea and pour into your favorite mug
• Add your favorite milk or cream to taste (optional)

Holy Basil Chai

This is the newest chai to be added to my tea arsenal, and it might be my most frequently selected. Holy Basil (or Tulsi) is commonly used in teas and for traditional medicine purposes. It smells and tastes incredible, and blends perfectly with the spices I love to have in my chai. *Side bar* In a fit of whimsy one day I added a pinch of dried peppermint. As a result, I learned that I could have the full-bodied tea I was craving and make it completely herbal!

Holy Basil Chai Tea for Winter: Ingredients

• 2 tsp Holy Basil leaves
• A pinch of dried mint
• 3 thin slices of ginger root
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• Honey (optional)
• Oat milk (optional)

Holy Basil Chai Brewing instructions

• Add the herbs together into your pot or tea strainer
• Gently add water at approx. 190F and let steep for 5 minutes
• Strain tea and pour into your favorite mug
• Stir in sweetener to taste (optional)
• Add your favorite milk or cream to taste (optional)

Turmeric-Ginger Latte

Whether you suffer from inflammation or not, this is the perfect tea to get addicted to. Turmeric, as well as cinnamon and ginger are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. And the dash of black pepper helps your body to absorb the turmeric. If you’re new to the flavor of this golden root, start out with just 1/2 tsp and build up as you acquire the taste. Depending on your strainer, you may be left with some extra goodness at the bottom of your mug (I like to add more hot water for a quick second cup.) *A note of caution* Turmeric stains like nobody’s business. I typically only drink this from a spill-proof mug.

Turmeric-Ginger Latte Tea for Winter: Ingredients

• 1-2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 – 1/2″ knob of ginger root
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Honey
• Oat milk

Turmeric-Ginger Latte Brewing Instructions

• Add the spices together into your pot or tea strainer
• Gently add water at approx. 190F and let steep for 5 minutes
• Strain tea and pour into your favorite mug
• Stir in sweetener to taste
• Add your favorite milk or cream to taste

Peppermint Tea

As a novice tea drinker, peppermint was my favorite. And it remains at the top of my list still. The herb is refreshing in smell and flavor, and has many uses in traditional medicine. Also, this is the most simple tea to brew on my list, as it needs absolutely nothing added for flavor. And if you’re blessed to have peppermint growing at your home, you have an endless supply of comfort available to you.

Peppermint Tea for Winter: Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 tsp dried peppermint (or 5 small fresh leaves)

Peppermint Tea Brewing Instructions

• Add the mint into your pot or tea strainer
• Gently add water at approx. 175F and let steep for 5 minutes
• Strain tea and pour into your favorite mug

And there you have it! I hope you love these best teas to drink in winter as much as I do. Let me know which is your favorite? Is there any on my list you haven’t tried? What tea would you add? Let me know in the comments.

Happy hydrating, my friends.