Mastress Alita’s Monthly Sipdown Challenge
March 2022 → A sleepytime tea
This really was so much better than I was expecting! I steeped one teabag in 6 ounces of water for about four minutes, then added a teaspoon of honey with 4 ounces of frothed half and half. A perfect sleepytime tea. Raising my rating on this one.
Lifetime student. Lover of books and paper and ink. Kitchen dweller. Aspiring herbalist, excessively proud cat lady, and tea fanatic. Thirty-something elder millennial. She/her.
I love flavored black teas most of all, always with cream and honey. I enjoy floral and fruity teas, as well as flavored or scented ones. I’m not overly fond of green or white teas, but I’ve found a few that I enjoy.
I’m open to tea swaps and/or just sharing what’s in my tea cabinet! Please reach out if you see something I have that you’d like to try. I do my best to update my cupboard regularly.
Favorites
Any and all black teas, smoky teas, raspberry, strawberry, red fruits, bergamot, chai spices, floral teas, caramel/toffee, jasmine, rose, vanilla, peaches, plums, valerian root, cinnamon, cardamom
Not a huge fan
White teas, green teas, artificial sweeteners, sarsaparilla, licorice, lemongrass, lavender, hot hibiscus, hibiscus in black tea blends
Rating Scale
1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband, James, who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).
21-49: This tea is not good, but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.
50-69: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.
70-79: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.
80-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.
91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.
96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.
Updated May 2022.
Alabaster, Alabama
