Journal | Firepot

Simple Additions to Elevate Your Black Tea

Written by Sarah Scarborough | Jul 26, 2022 7:18:00 PM

There’s something timeless and classic about a basic soothing black tea. But, there are also times when we want to express ourselves or have our tea reflect our current experience. For these times, we like to think of black tea as a blank palette on which we can add herbs, spices, botanicals, milk options, fruit and more! Here, we show you numerous ways to elevate the taste of a simple black tea.

There Are No Rules

You'll notice that we do not include specifics and recipes. Instead, we encourage you to simply use your sense of taste and smell and to blend to match your personal preferences. This serves to further enhance the mindfulness of your tea experience. Many of these items can be found at your local farmer's market or grown in your own backyard.

We do encourage you to keep a journal or notebook to record the different combinations you create and keep notes of your favorites!
 

To help you get started, our suggestions below include the following categories:

  1. Spices
  2. Herbs
  3. Sweetener
  4. Fruit
  5. Milk
  6. Botanicals
  7. Other Options

Spices: 

Spices each are known for their unique flavor profile as well as health benefits. Add the warmth of spices to your black tea either alone or with milk to create an easy milk tea variation. 

Our favorites include:  
May we suggest: 

Herbs: 

Muddle or crush herbs and stir them into your iced tea. You can also serve hot black tea with herbs, as the hot water wilts the leaves and allows their natural oils to mix with the tea. 

Our favorites include: 
May we suggest:

Sweeteners: 

There are so many alternatives for sweetening your basic black tea. For the options listed here, we suggest blending them with hot tea to help the dissolve more easily. For cold tea, make a simple syrup by boiling water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, and then adding it to your tea. 

Our Favorites Include:
  • Honey 
  • Maple syrup 
  • Sugar 
  • Monkfruit 
  • Stevia
  • Simple Syrup 
May we suggest:

Fruit: 

 

Fruit-flavored syrups are a fast and easy way to dress up a glass of iced tea in the summer. Raspberry and peach are two favorite fruit flavors that pair well with fresh-brewed black tea, and you can never go wrong with citrus - especially lemon. Reminiscent of the ever-popular Arnold Palmer, fruit and black tea are a perfect pair, whether hot or cold. 

Our Favorites Include:
  • Citrus (lime/lemon/orange) 
  • Chopped fruit (berries) 
  • Fruity simple syrup - muddle your fruit and heat it in a pan of water and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
May we suggest:

Milk: 

Milk is another classic friend to black tea. With all the different types of milk (almond, oat, hemp, soy, etc), you can experiment with the flavor profiles and find the combinations you like the best. When you're looking for something a bit bolder, sweetened condensed milk offers a rich decadent taste that we consider one of our absolute go-tos when we want to treat ourselves to something special. 

Our Favorites Include:
  • Oat Milk (one of the most popular!)
  • Cream
  • Sweetened condensed milk
May we suggest:

Botanicals: 

A floral touch adds an element of sensuality and peace to your tea. Colorful petals enhance your tea and invite all of your senses to come alive. The aroma, the taste, the beauty…all come together in artful expression in a botanical tisane. 

Our Favorites Include:
May we suggest: 

Other SUGGESTIONS:

Boost your body’s immune system with a dose of vitamin powder or CBD Oil. Splash a bit of sparkling water in a fruit-flavored iced tea for a refreshing spring or summer mixer. Or spike your tea with a shot of bourbon and treat yourself to a cocktail. 

Our Favorites Include:
  • Vitamin powder
  • CBD Oil
  • Sparkling water for iced tea  
  • Bourbon  
May we suggest: 

The joy is in expressing yourself through tea. Be in tune with yourself, your moods and your personality. Give that adventurous side permission to experiment and try new flavor combinations. When you create a melange that you love, share it with us!