The holiday season is almost upon us, and we love this time of year that is filled with gifts and delicious treats. But the most delightful is cozying up by the fire or enjoying holiday festivities with the best Earl Grey tea in Australia.

Earl Grey tea ingredients are mainly a combination of single-origin black tea infused with oil from the peel of bergamot oranges. Combined, it highlights a bright and complex brew with a subtle aroma and deep flavour. As a result of the traditional process used to create black tea blended with the fragrance of citrus, this is one of the favourite teas served all around the world.

How to enjoy Earl Grey tea during the holidays

You can brew a cup and enjoy sip by sip whilst decorating the house or wrapping Christmas gifts. 

Include these tea flavours into your afternoon tea spread or serve them up at your family holiday tea or dinner party. Brew them in a teapot with orange peels and a touch of sweetener to take the flavour up a notch. 

These are also excellent gifts for people who love or have teas on their wish list for Santa this year. 

Include Earl Grey tea in your holiday food recipes. Hint - Earl Grey tea cookies and cake are delicious. Why not spice up your hot chocolate by adding this tea into the mix? Yum!

Discover our range of Earl Grey teas

• Supreme Earl Grey - Our Supreme Earl Grey combines whole leaf black tea, marigold flowers, lemon peel & cold press bergamot oil for a beautifully balanced traditional Earl Grey with a twist of citrus.

• French Earl Grey - Let the French superlatives flow with every sip of this magnificent, rich blend. An Earl Grey with a twist. Put the bon into bonjour every morning with this tea that is aptly described as a ‘melody of fruit’. Typically, gallic – deep and complex, comprising of whole leaf black tea, rosehip, pineapple pieces, mango pieces, marigold, rose petals, cold press bergamot oil, passion fruit, soursop, and strawberry flavour. Best enjoyed whilst wearing a beret.

• Cream of Earl Grey - Here’s a twist on a regal classic. Delicately blends single origin white tea with the classic natural flavours of Earl Grey for a tea that delivers hints of vanilla with subtle hues of bergamot. If you’re hosting a high tea this is the tea to impress. An Earl Grey tea that doesn’t need milk and perfect for an after dinner relaxing treat.

Brewing a perfect cup of Earl Grey tea

• For the best flavour always use fresh, filtered, low mineral cold water. Never reboil the water as it loses oxygen and becomes flat.
• Water temperature has a profound impact on infusion quality, so brewing to the correct temperature will make sure you extract the optimum flavour of this tea at 99C.
• Steeping time is very much a matter of taste when it comes to Earl Grey. Most tea connoisseurs steep their tea at 2-4mins.
• Exact measurements will vary depending on how strong you like your tea, how large your favorite cup is, and how many cups your teapot holds. For loose tea, we recommend one and a half teaspoon per eight-ounce cup.
• Enjoy it with lemon or milk or savour the natural flavour and color straight from the pot.

Earl Grey tea benefits

A cup can boost your overall health. Here’s a breakdown of earl grey tea benefits. 

• Energy booster - Earl Grey features a caffeine boost like coffee without some side effects. Caffeine levels in tea are lower and can perk you up and keep you active throughout the day. 

• Improves Immunity – A key ingredient in Earl grey tea is bergamot. It has become recognized as having many health benefits. While it adds that delicious citrusy flavour to the tea, it also has antibacterial properties that give your immune system a boost. This tea is an ideal cold remedy. 

• Boosts metabolism - Citrus has always been believed to encourage weight loss and combined with the polyphenols in the tea will increase your metabolism to quicken the weight-loss process. Next time you enjoy a cuppa Earl Grey, try adding lemon for a great taste and benefit to your body!

• Improves digestion - It helps protect your gut health and support the digestion process. And if you need more reasons to drink Earl Grey, these same ingredients have natural anti-inflammatory qualities that can help relieve constipation and acid reflux.

Celebrate the holidays with Earl Grey tea

Bold in flavour. Rich in holiday spirit. There’s an Earl Grey for everybody. Take a moment to sit down, relax and enjoy one of our aromatic and flavourful Earl Grey teas.

 

 

Whilst we say 3pm time is tea time, often you find that certain teas, just like all beverages, are better suited to be consumed at different times of the day. There are no hard rules when it comes to drinking tea, that’s why tea is so much fun to explore. Some teas will work better in the morning than others. You may also find that some teas work better in the afternoon after having your lunch meal. There are also teas made to be drunk in the evening because they are able to enhance sleep.  So what tea should you drink at what time?

Morning 

In the morning when you wake up, your stomach is empty, so you want something that can help manage your stomach’s pH levels. You may want to try out white tea as it offers a great way to ease yourself into the day with reduced amounts of caffeine - a perfect early morning tea. 

For those who want something that gives more of a punch, a black tea might suit you better. It contains about half the amount of caffeine you would get from a cup of coffee. You may want to start with a traditional English Breakfast tea - a great way to kick-start your morning. 

What about Mid-Morning?

You probably have heard the phrase “Green Tea O’clock.” If you are looking for something to brighten your day, you want to drink green tea. It is a perfect choice for the mid-morning hours when you need increased concentration and focus. This tea not only tastes great, but it also helps with your brain function. 

Green tea is very popular because it features a milder flavour compared to most teas. If you are looking to fight off the growls before lunch, a Japanese style Sencha or Genmaicha is going to suppress your appetite until lunch time. With lower levels of caffeine compared to Black Tea,  it is going to spruce you up without having a crazy buzzing feeling.

And for Lunch Time...

When it comes to drinking tea during lunchtime, you can opt for Peppermint tea. A tea which is a winner at all times of the day but perfect for lunchtime. It's easy to serve and readily available in most food and beverage outlets, and also helps refresh your taste buds. 

Afternoon Tea

After lunch, you will probably want a drink that is going to do away with the sugar cravings you may have. Lemongrass Ginger is an ideal tea to have, as it helps reduce bloating whilst aiding with digestion. 

Going Early Evening!

If you are looking for something you can drink early in the evening, try out Rooibos tea. This tea is delicious and offers you the flavour you need for a delicious drink. Rooibos is caffeine-free, offering you a great alternative to the non-caffeinated drinks. The South African red herb brings with its flavours of Vanilla and Caramel making it so delicious. It’s great for tea enthusiasts needing alcohol free beverage options – cold or hot, and rich in antioxidants. 

For Bed Time?

When it comes to bedtime, you need a tea for sleep. So, you want to consider Chamomile tea, one of the most popular teas to help relax. It is soothing, calming, and offers you a perfect way to get to bed. When you add Lavender and Rose, you get all the good stuff you need to set you up for that good night’s sleep. 

So, these are some of the teas that you can drink at different hours of the day or night. Something to mention here is that because everyone has varying caffeine requirements and sensitivity, this tea-drinking guide serves as your starting point. You can experiment and develop your own guide as you discover what tea works best for you at what time. The idea is; tea is a great choice and a fun way to explore your world. It’s affordable. You can enjoy it anytime, anywhere – whether on your sofa in the comfort of your home or even on your desk at the workplace.  

Want to explore different varieties and types of tea you can drink at different times of the day? Tea Drop offers you a huge collection of tea. Explore our range now.

Everyone’s heard of iced tea, but you may be wondering what flash chilled ice tea is. And wait, isn’t cold brew a coffee?

In this post, we’re going to take you on a journey into the wonderful world of ice teas and explain how you can get your fix now or save it till later with our easy-to-follow recipes.

More about chilled tea

Chilled tea or iced tea has been a beverage enjoyed since the 1870s when it was first consumed in the southern United States. Perfect for the region’s hot and steamy climate, it soon became a popular choice for its thirst-quenching properties.

The perfect alternative to alcohol or fizzy drinks on a hot summer’s day, not only is iced tea refreshing, thanks to its high water content, but it also contains antioxidants that help fight disease.

Individual tea blends will contain their own health benefits too, so our Lemongrass Ginger blend – perfect for ice tea – offers the detoxifying benefits of lemongrass, while ginger provides protective anti-inflammatory properties.

And last but not least, ice tea can be made in a whole spectrum of exciting flavours to suit every taste. A great iced tea makes you pause and take notice. It's flavour profiles are different from hot tea, but done right, is just as worthy of savoring.

Making iced tea is so easy

Not only is cold tea thirst-quenching and delicious, but making iced tea is also so much easier than you think. The two methods best known for making iced tea are cold brew and flash chilled.

The question you need to ask yourself to find out which process will work best for you is: when do you want to drink your iced tea?

To make flash chilled iced tea

If the answer is now, then flash chilled is the way to go. This process will take no more than five minutes to complete.

Step 1. Select your preferred tea. Try Lemongrass Ginger or Fruits of Eden.

Step 2. Put tea in our Tea Drop tea maker. Double the weight of your tea and halve the volume of water. For example, if you normally use 3 grams (1 teaspoon) of Lemongrass Ginger for a hot tea, use 6 grams (2 teaspoons) for your cold tea. And if you use a standard 230 ml of hot water, drop that down to 150 ml of hot water.

Step 3. Let brew for 3 minutes.

Step 4. Place the tea maker over the serving glass filled with ice and watch the tea fill the glass in seconds. Stir and garnish with fruit.

Step 5. Put your feet up, and drink like you’re a Hollywood star!

To make cold brew iced tea

If you know that some warm weather is coming and you want to make some cold infused tea for the weekend, then cold brew tea is possibly a better option.

The cold brew iced tea method is literally putting the tea in a fridge with cold water and steeping overnight. The colder temperature doesn’t steep out the tannins the way hot water does, so cold brewed tea is actually less astringent and less caffeinated. This process is even easier but will take 10-12 hours until the tea is ready to drink. You also get to enjoy and savour the different flavour profiles of the tea - sweet, refreshing, and full of great body and an aftertaste that cools the throat. It stays fresh tasting for days.

Step 1. Select your tea and measure out 10 grams into a 1.2litre jug. For this, we recommend trying Sweet Peach, or why not try African Sunset to capture that summer floral vibe?

Step 2. Add 1 litre of cold water. There’s no need for a specific temperature –cold filtered water from the tap will be just fine.

Step 3. Place in the fridge for 10-12 hours.

Step 4. After 12 hours, strain off and store in a bottle for up to seven days. The drinks are on you at your next BBQ!

Simple, sweet and creative

Drinking tea all year round is so easy with these simple recipes. Enjoy the fresh flavours of Tea Drop teas as they come or add some natural sweetness with a little treacle, honey or sugar. For a finishing flourish, add some juicy fresh fruit to garnish.

We would love to see your different creations – share them on our social pipelines @teadroptea.

 

Say hello to our brand new Artisan Drinking Chocolate. Full-bodied and incredibly luscious, this ultra-dark cocoa blend is simple to make and utterly delicious to drink - for the perfect hot chocolate experience in the comfort of your own home!

The Cocoa Blend

With a blend of 100% African Trinatrio & Forastero cocoa beans, and with double the cocoa butter of regular cocoa, it creates a rich and silky flavour that’s unmatched. The delightfully creamy texture is then perfectly balanced with chocolate flavours, deep earthy undertones and a hint of plum jam & toasted almond. 

A Touch of Sweetness

We take pride in using Australian ingredients when we can, with this blend featuring all-natural and sunkissed raw cane sugar straight from tropical Queensland, subtly lifting and sweetening our drinking chocolate to the perfect degree.

Blended in Melbourne 

Blended right in the heart of Melbourne with the highest standards of care, our specialty drinking chocolate is blended in small batches to ensure the perfect flavour is always achieved. We avoid using GMO ingredients, and value the importance of simple, high quality yet tasty products.

• 42% cocoa
• 100% Vegan Friendly
• No colours, flavourings or preservatives
• Gluten Free

So snuggle up at home this winter with a delicious cuppa of our hot chocolate & let your worries drift away with each satisfying sip!

A warming cup of hot chocolate is just the thing you need on a chilly afternoon or cold winter night.

Or if you have some Tea Drop artisan drinking chocolate lingering around in your kitchen shelf from the winter months, worry not we have some insanely delicious and easy iced and frozen hot chocolate recipes perfect for warmer days when drinking hot chocolate would be, well insane.

Whip up these easy hot and cold chocolate drink recipes at home.

Classic Hot Chocolate

Life is better with chocolate! Especially during winter, nothing beats the deep flavour of the classic hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Tea Drop Artisan Drinking Chocolate
• 30ml hot water
• 200ml milk of your choice

How to make Classic Hot Chocolate

1. Add 20g of chocolate (2tbs) into a mug.
2. A little bit of hot water and make a paste.
3. Pour a little hot milk and stir/mix it up.
4. And then slowly pour the rest of the milk so it becomes chocolaty.
5. Garnish - Grate your favourite chocolate bar on top. We use dark chocolate mint

Whipped Iced Chocolate

A super delicious, rich, and kid-friendly version of the popular Dalgona Coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of Tea Drop Artisan Drinking Chocolate
• 1 table spoon hot water
• 60ml heavy whipping cream
• 120ml milk of your choice

How to make Whipped Iced Chocolate

1. Whisk chocolate powder, hot water, and heavy whipping cream in a small bowl.
2. Add ice and milk to a glass.
3. Top the milk with whipped chocolate.
4. Stir and serve immediately.

Chai Spiced Hot chocolate

Chocolate and chai don’t make an appearance together very often, and it’s a shame because it’s a fantastic combination.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of Tea Drop Chai concentrate
• 2 tablespoons of Tea Drop Artisan Drinking Chocolate
• 230ml milk of your choice
• Whip cream and grated dark chocolate for garnish

How to make Chai Spiced Hot chocolate

1. Place milk in a saucepan on medium heat and add chai concentrate to milk.
2. Add chocolate powder in a cup and add a splash of hot water, mix until it becomes a paste.
3. Add this to the milk and stir well. Leave to gently simmer.
4. Pour chai chocolate into a mug, top it off with whipped cream and garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

If you love hot chocolate but want to switch things up a little, then you’ve come to the right recipe for that. Also, the word “hot” maybe a little deceptive because this is still a cold drink.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of Tea Drop Artisan Drinking Chocolate
• 4 cups ice
• 200ml milk of your choice
• Whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles to garnish

How to make Frozen Hot Chocolate

1. Add chocolate powder, milk and ice to a blender and blend until smooth
2. Pour the frozen hot chocolate you made into a tall glass, top it off with a generous amount of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and serve with a bamboo or stainless-steel straw.