From the whistle that a kettle makes in the morning to the sweet smell of freshly-brewed chamomile at night, tea rivals the sun in how it marks the passage of time at The Tea Centre.

Sometimes, the most important question of the day is not ‘what’ but ‘when’. While a time-worn tea lover will never be without a Stockholm Blend at their bedside or chai simmering away on the stovetop, The Tea Centre understands that some of our newer sippers may need guidance on how to incorporate tea into their everyday routines.

If your follow-up question to all of the above is ‘why should I make time for tea’, the answers are infinite. A few that we have plucked out from the past millennia are that tea is thought by many cultures to encourage mindfulness, inspire contentment, and is one of the healthiest stimulants available around the globe (with tea being a correlating factor among a few of the world’s blue zones). Did we also mention that it’s delicious too?

To help you on your journey into the world of tea, here’s our rough guide on how to time your tea from the AM to the PM.

The 6 am fix to get you out of bed: Assam Dimakusi

Greet the morning with a brew that we often describe as sunshine in a cup! This is a more literal descriptive than one may assume, with the unique maltiness of Assam Dimakusi stemming from the estate’s bask-worthy location in one of India’s most tropical climates. 

This Assam’s BOP CTC (read more here) grading doubles down on the richness of the loose leaf, imbuing the resulting infusion with enough caffeine and tannins to give your body the start it needs. As for those who take their cuppas with a dose of calcium, this breakfast tea tastes great with milk too.

The 9 am morning rush: Fancy Oolong

Contrary to its name, Fancy Oolong is one of the most laidback and unassuming teas in our collection, making it the perfect companion to tide you through the first half of a hectic work day. For those unfamiliar with this tea type,  oolongs are the teas whose oxidation process falls on a spectrum between that of black and green teas. 

A bonus side effect of this fact is that it’s almost impossible to brew it wrong! Unlike their counterparts who are too bold or bitter when over-brewed, Fancy Oolong is very forgiving. You could leave your infuser in for ten minutes or use water you’ve boiled six times over (forgetting to pour the kettle every time) and the tea will still taste delicious.

Surviving distractions, oolongs are also super economical teas. You can steep this loose leaf multiple times, which takes decision fatigue out of the equation! Simply plop the leaves in a three-piece mug or tea flask and consider your morning sorted.

Our 12 pm lunchtime treat: Olive Leaf Green

You’ve made it through a highly-caffeinated morning, so now it’s time to steep, sip, and relax on a milder green tea bursting with health benefits. In this respect, our minty Olive Leaf Green fits the bill perfectly.

Like all green teas, this brew is packed with antioxidants and ECGC while olive leaf is brimming with the polyphenol oleuropein. All of this makes olive leaf tea anti-inflammatory and a great post-lunch digestif.

Another bonus that comes with this brew? The abundance of florals like cornflower, chrysanthemum, and rose are great aromatics that, combined with spearmint, works wonders for refreshing one’s breath. This also makes olive leaf a great tea to share with those colleagues that always seem to bring in tuna for lunch…

The 3 pm afternoon dip: Power Mix

Battle the post-lunch lurgies with this super energising Ayurvedic tea! While the instinct when experiencing the dreaded afternoon dip is to chug caffeine, The Tea Centre believes that a more holistic restorative tea is just what the doshas ordered!

Specifically, Power Mix boasts a formulation that stimulates both the body (juniper berries for circulation, ginger for sore muscle) and the mind (cinnamon for blood pressure and brain fatigue). What’s more, it also addresses other health issues such as indigestion and slow metabolism that could also be impacting your energy levels.

A 7 pm dinner treat: After Dark

Pat yourself on the back for a day well done with a decadent after-dinner drink! If you’re abstaining from alcohol, coffee or sugary treats in the evenings, After Dark is a fantastic substitute that tastes a little like dinner mints and a lot like hot chocolate.

Along with freshening your breath, After Dark is sure to satisfy any late-night cravings without the excess calories. Moreover, this brew’s lower caffeine levels helps even the most veteran for coffee drinkers wean off and wind down for the night.

The 10 pm nightcap: Relaxation Tea

Put anxious thoughts to rest and settle with the fragrant lavender petals found in Relaxation tea. Containing chamomile for its sedative effects, lemon balm for stress relief, peppermint for digestion, this relaxation tea does just what it’s name suggests. 

This nightcap is abundant in aromatherapeutic benefits too, with lavender, rosemary, and cornflower all considered to be super calming fragrances. Drift off to sleep with ease when you have this tea on your nightstand.

A Twilight Zone bonus: Yerba Maté

Okay, hear us out: while The Tea Centre doesn’t encourage staying up late into the night, we do understand that there are some night owls or uni students out there whose circadian rhythms are of the nocturnal nature. If this is you, we have the perfect tisane to recommend: Yerba Maté.

Yerba Maté is a highly-caffeinated herbal tisane that’s so unique we’ve previously dedicated a whole Tea Journal entry to all its health benefits and interesting side effects here. The one benefit that most pertains to those burning the midnight oil is that yerba maté’s unique ratio of caffeine-to-theobromine keeps one feeling awake and alert without blocking your body’s natural rhythms and receptors. 

Less invasive than the caffeine in coffee, this South American brew not only causes little disruption to your sleep patterns but is thought to give the drinker vivid dreams too! It’s certainly one of the more interesting ways to end one’s day.

Now that you have a guide on the best times to take tea, the next step is to learn how to brew! Start off with out detailed brewing guide here.