Tea in the evening.
A relaxing and enjoyable end to the day.
After a stressful day, it is likely that you and many others will look forward to being able to unwind at home. And if you are someone who is absolutely devoted to tea, this usually also means curling up with a nice hot cup of tea as the night approaches. As you enjoy your favourite hot drink, you can leave everything behind you as you take a relaxing and a well-earned rest.
However, as pleasant as the scenario might be, it is always important to make sure that the tea is of a suitable variety. Choosing the wrong variety can even mean that you might find it difficult to drop off and could even remain sleepless. In the following, we’ll tell you which teas are particularly good for relaxation in the evening and which it is better to avoid at this time of day - and also why the content of herbal teas is so important.
Drinking tea in the evening - why it is okay to do so
A cuddly blanket, the lights turned down and an appealing book; what better accompaniment to these can there be than the iconic hot drink? A mug of tea not only tastes good but can also provide a number of benefits.
# A nightcap
Those who drink tea in the evening before they go to bed are supplying their body with important fluid it will need in the night. It may be the case that water is healthy, but for many it is simply too bland when it comes to flavour. Tea can help maintain body hydration without the taste deficits of water. In addition to the positive benefit for body fluid balance, the drinking of a hot infusion before retiring for the night can also be a helpful accessory in your nocturnal ritual during which you mull over what happened during the day and so find inner peace before getting some sleep.
# Relaxing
A flavourful fruit tea or herbal tea not only tastes good but can also be good for the body. Herbs such as lemon balm and valerian are considered to have calming effects and can thus promote deep and restful sleep from which you will wake refreshed. Moreover, the conscious act of drinking itself can relax the body, making it easier for you find the rest you need. If you are looking for a mild delight to enjoy at night, one variety we can recommend is our EASY DREAMER organic tea. This contains no caffeine but is packed full of wonderfully aromatic and flavoursome ingredients such as lemon balm, valerian, anise and fennel. This combination produces an attractive fragrance and tastes as good as it smells.
A range of flavours for everyone
You have a wide range of choice when it comes to the flavour of your comforting evening tea. During the day, you might prefer the powerful taste of one of our standard varieties, such as our GREAT CEYLON, while in the evening you can switch to our THE CAMOMILE. If you fancy a more intensive flavour, then fruit teas are right for you. There are many fruit tea varieties that allow you to savour a rich diversity of flavour in the evening - for instance our SWEET CHERRY.
What teas are best in the evening? Our picks of the bunch
An evening cup of herbal tea
Mother Nature has provided an extensive number of herbs that can be used to prepare an infusion to drink before bed. There are classic examples, such as camomile tea with its mild flavour and mint that produces a gentle but fresh taste. The intensive flavour of our TRIPLE MINT is created by the presence of three types of mint - powerful peppermint, fruity apple mint and sweet spearmint - and this without a trace of caffeine, making it the ideal tipple at bedtime.
Our HONEY ROOIBOS is just as luscious and has a touch of fine earthiness. This tea with its mildly sweet flavour is made using the leaves of the South African ‘redbush’ (Aspalathus linearis). Those who have a taste for moringa will be delighted by our MORINGA MANGO. It comes with the underlying horseradish-like hot tang that is so characteristic of moringa. This is offset by the additional sweet and sour interplay of apple and mango.
Ginger and lemon grass are also ideal for making an infusion to drink in the evening if you want to experience a good night’s rest. By stealing a well-known phrase and adapting it to our needs - “infused, not stirred” - we have the perfect description of our CLUB GINGER, a sundowner that is like an alcohol-free version of the celebrated Moscow Mule cocktail.
An evening cup of fruit tea
Anyone wanting to bring their day to a close with a fruity-fresh finish will find that most fruit teas will fill the bill. The majority are completely caffeine-free as they are pure and simply infusions made from fruits. Tea drinkers are thus fortunate enough to have the option of experiencing the full diversity of flavours of these teas even late in the day. Our BITTER ORANGE fruit tea provides for a sweet and tart experience in the mouth. This tea variety is also the main ingredient in our recipe for an Orange Tea Spritz tea-based ‘tocktail’. Our creation is an excellent alcohol-free alternative to Aperol Spritz.
A flowery tone is provided by the blend of marigold, elderflower and blackberry in our FRESH ELDERFLOWER. This is just the right tea to drink on warm summer evenings. Those searching for a particularly unusual flavour will find what they are seeking in our CREAMY STRAWBERRY with its creamy-sweetness and unmistakable taste of strawberries and cream. These and other varieties of fruit teas mean that nobody need forgo the pleasure of drinking tea in the evening.
Tea trivia: Did you know that infusions prepared from herbs and fruits - rather than those made using green or black teas - are not strictly speaking ‘teas’ at all as the ingredients are not ultimately derived from the tea plant Camellia sinensis? Even so, the terms ‘herbal tea’ and ‘fruit tea’ are now in general use.
An evening cup of tea with caffeine - not something for everyone
Good sleep hygiene is key to feeling hale and hearty on the following morning. And as has been hinted at above, those who decide to drink tea containing caffeine (theine) run the risk of spoiling the quality of their sleep and thus their night’s rest. This of course means that varieties that originate from the actual tea plant Camellia sinensis should be shunned by anyone wanting to avoid an intake of caffeine before going to bed.
Both black tea and green tea contain relatively high levels of caffeine and so, like coffee, are perfect as eye-openers in the morning.
However, if you tend not be so sensitive to the effects of caffeine and do not want to do without your caffeine hit as night falls, see what a cup of white tea does for you. White teas like our LEGEND OF PAI MU TAN have a mild-velvety, slightly flowery flavour but are by no means free of caffeine.
Needless to say, this is no reason to completely refrain from such teas, with their individual spectrums of flavour and delightful ingredients. You can drink these happily during the day, and then swap them for herbal teas and fruits teas in the evening and before going to bed.
Drink tea and relax in the evening – enjoyment at the press of a button by Avoury®
Although these tea varieties might sound enticing, it is absolutely essential that they are correctly prepared. Otherwise, even a simple infusion can go wrong, have an unpleasant bitter taste or fail to develop its aromas properly. To prevent calamities like this, we have developed a machine that, just like us, is familiar with and loves all varieties of tea. Our Avoury One® tea machine adjusts the temperature and brewing time precisely to the specific requirements of each variety. Every infusion is a success, irrespective of which tea you have decided to make in the evening - and, of course, during the day.
Our machine makes it possible for everyone to enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of fresh tea whenever they want. All you need to do is insert one of our tea capsules in the machine. Regardless of whether it is a green tea or herbal tea, the Avoury One® is able to identify what is in the capsule and ensures that brewing temperature and steeping time are exactly right for the variety. And, in no time, the tea is poured into your cup, guaranteeing you a moment of taste satisfaction at the end of your day.
