5 spots to get your hot tea fix in Birmingham, including Piper and Leaf
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The weather has officially turned cool. What could be better than a hot tea to keep you warm and cozy during the chilly weather? Here are five spots to get your hot tea fix in Birmingham.
Piper & Leaf
Piper & Leaf is a local family-run tea company that creates gourmet blends using as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible. Local? Gourmet? You have my attention!
By working directly with nearby farmers, Piper & Leaf is able to blend amazing flavors using a variety of herbs and produce, such as peaches, apples, beets, figs and strawberries.
Here’s something else you may not know about this company—they can be hired for specific events like weddings or bridal showers. Their specialty: full-service tea bars. How fun and Southern is that?
Products To Try
You can buy Piper & Leaf tea in loose leaf, sachets (tea bags) or in muslin bags or glass jars. Here are some popular blends:
- Front Porch Special
- Piper Mint Blues
- Healing Honeysuckle
- Orchard Peach
Others that may hit the spot this time of year are:
- Chocolate-Tea
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Moonshine
Where to Purchase
So where can you find all of these tasty tea blends? At local farmers markets, special events and, of course, first-hand at their stores.
ThirsTea Cafe
Tapioca anyone? Wait… isn’t this article about tea? Why, yes it is! Which brings us to ThirsTea Cafe, an Asian/Taiwanese tea spot in Hoover, that serves a huge list of hot teas. One is Boba Tea.
Boba What?
Boba Tea—or “Bubble Tea”—is tea that includes chewy dark pearls of cooked and sweetened tapioca. It is often added to Asian-style slushies, smoothies and milk tea drinks.
Popping Boba
There is regular Boba and there is Popping Boba. The name itself is pretty alluring. I mean, is it like pop rocks or something? No, not exactly. It’s actually closer to a fruit gusher. Instead of being filled with tapioca, Popping Boba are filled with juice, and when bitten, the pearls burst. See, similar to a fruit gusher.
Popping Boba is typically paired with ThirsTea’s fruit-flavored teas like strawberry, kiwi and pomegranate.
More Warm Teas
If you aren’t a fan of Boba Tea, no worries. ThirsTea Cafe offers many other warm teas that are worth a try. Along with fruit-flavored tea, there are also many milk teas to choose from, such as:
- Honey Milk Tea
- Matcha Milk Tea
- Peppermint Milk Tea
- Almond Milk Tea
- Coconut Milk Tea
Seeds Coffee Co.
If you’re seeking a warm drink that offers ultimate coziness then settle in with a tea latte from Seeds Coffee Co.
What Is A Tea Latte?
When you hear the word latte, you probably envision a cup of piping hot coffee. But the term latte is really just code for a drink with steamed milk. Which is basically what a tea latte is—tea that is steeped in steamed milk.
Here are the flavors available at Seeds Coffee Co.
- Bergamot Fog Tea Latte
- Chai Tea Latte
- Peace Green Tea Latte (Home location only)
- Chocolate Mint Tea Latte
More Hot Tea To Try
While the tea lattes at Seeds Coffee Co. are full of cozy comfort, you can’t go wrong with their other hot tea options. Some to try are:
- Herbal Citrus Tea
- Assam Black Tea
Check out Seeds Coffee Co. at 2808 7th Ave S. in Lakeview and 174 Oxmoor Rd. in Homewood.
The Red Cat Coffee House
Since 2008, locals have been flocking to The Red Cat Coffee House. Their motto may be “coffee for everyone”, but I say “tea for everyone”. The REd Cat offers so many, too.
Here are some blends to try:
Black Teas:
- English Breakfast
- Earl Gray
- Chai
- Lemon Mango
Green Teas:
- Green Garden
- Jasmine Flower
Herbal Teas:
- Spearmint
- Chamomile and Fruit
- Cranberry Orange
Find Red Cat Coffee House at 1701 1st Ave S. across from Railroad Park and at 2901 2nd Ave S. at Pepper Place.
Red Diamond
Sometimes you just don’t want to venture outside in the cold. So what do you do if you’re craving something warm and soothing? Turn on the kettle and steep your own in your very favorite mug! Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?
This is when local companies like Red Diamond come in oh-so handy.
Hot Tea Choices
You can choose from regular or decaf, even organic. Here are some flavors to check out:
- Earl Gray
- Darjeeling
- English Breakfast
- Hunan Jasmine
- Irish Breakfast
Enjoy fruitier blends? There are several:
- Strawberry Peach
- Tropical Blend
- Raspberry Rose
If you dig green tea then you’re in luck because Red Diamond also makes single serve hot green tea bags.
What’s your favorite tea spot in Birmingham?
