Hot tea is better than coffee

Snowflakes are falling, ice sheets are beginning to cover the roads, and Christmas is coming closer into view. With the drops in temperature and unpleasant conditions outdoors, a warm cup of some sort of hot beverage is vital to many.

Coffee is popular choice during the winter months, meaning drinks such as hot tea are often overlooked in favor of a peppermint mocha or espresso. However, tea can be just as warming, and serves as a healthier alternative with nutritional benefits, less expensive prices, and an almost overwhelming variety of flavors. As someone who has been a fan of hot teas for many years now, I have tried an enormous amount of brands and blends to discover the best teas to warm up during the holiday season.

Whenever I need a cup of tea at any time of the day, the first kind I will reach for is Bigelow’s Classic Green Tea. Nothing fancy, just a standard mug of green tea to help me get through the day. However, out of all of the green teas I have tried in my years as a hot tea addict, Bigelow’s blend is by far the best. It does not taste overly organic or grassy, as green teas tend to do, but does not cross the line into tasting too sweet or artificial. This tea is smooth and comforting, and available to buy in bulk on Amazon for high-volume tea consumers like myself. I would recommend this tea to anyone who enjoys Starbucks’ or Arizona’s iced green tea, but has never tried it served hot. It is just as good, and a bit more seasonally appropriate.

Yogi’s Vanilla Spice Perfect Energy tea is another staple in my pantry, and hands down the best cup of tea to warm up winter days. This tea is unique because it is a blend of green and black teas, but the combination works surprisingly well together. It incorporates just enough sweetness to avoid being bitter, balanced out by warm spices to create a delicious flavor for Christmastime. This tea does have a bit of caffeine, hence the “perfect energy” title, but does not include so much caffeine that one cannot still enjoy the tea before bed at night.

Besides just cold weather, the holiday season also brings about specialty Christmas-inspired tea flavors. I have tried many holiday-themed teas over the years, but my absolute favorite is Celestial Seasonings’ Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea. I am not exaggerating when I say that this tea tastes like actual sugar cookies. It reminds me of spending Christmas at my grandma’s house, baking cookies and watching classic holiday cartoons in my pajamas. This tea is a sweet cup of nostalgia, and it feels like eating a sugary dessert without the sugar or the calories.

These tea brands are available to purchase at most grocery stores, or if the weather takes too much of a toll on one’s motivation to leave the house, they can be found online as well. There is an expansive universe of hot teas out there besides just these three, and for iced tea or coffee fans looking to try something new, it is definitely worth checking out.