tea time

generally i drink tea in the autumn, winter, spring... not so much in the summer. this partly because for me, tea has always been only a hot drink (never to be brought to the lips had it gone woefully cold). i have always very nearly despised iced tea...

i only just recently realised that the reason i hated iced tea was the fact that all of the iced teas sold in restaurants, and most of those offered at the homes of aunts and other more distant relatives, was made from the floor-sweepings tea that i despise hot - or cold. i am a tea snob. i drink only "perfumed" teas; earl grey, jasmine, hibiscus, orange, cinnamon... i cannot, have never been able to, doubt i ever will, enjoy lipton, pg tips, or red rose (no offense to my grandmother, aunts, and friends who absolutely - - above all - - favor this brand). even english (or irish) breakfast tea, darjeeling, and oolong are a bit too bitter or bland to bring me comfort - certainly not without copious amounts of sweetening agent and often milk as well.

but the thing is this - - since i've started brewing my own carefully mixed version of earl grey iced tea i am enjoying it, righteously. and when the sun starts creeping down the western side of the sky, and the air starts cooling - even just slightly - i've found myself also enjoying, through the heat of july (and most likely into august) a nice cup of hot tea (not without a few diet cookies) in the evening.

what's more - - i just started my work day, not with an icy cold diet coke, but with a piping hot cup of stash earl grey.


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i'm also keen on numi, republic of tea, twinings, and even the occasional bigelow.
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