Having a Dry January this year? We’ve got three things you need to make your alcohol-free month delicious.
Special blends from The Republic of Tea
Looking for a special tea to enjoy in January? The Republic of Tea just launched two caffeine-free teas - Daily Beauty and Beauty Sleep - and they are delicious. Yes, the ingredients were chosen to help with wellness and they’re labeled as “beautifying botanicals” but you’d drink these even if you didn’t think they were going to give your skin a new glow and help you relax into a great night’s sleep. Daily Beauty pours a pretty purple, the color coming primarily from blue butterfly pea flower. At a recent tea party, this was the absolute favorite. But Beauty Sleep surprised us with a rich rose aroma and deep flavor. We enjoyed them hot but they’d be delicious iced as well. Perfect for Dry January and throughout the year.
$13.50 for a tin of 36 tea bags. Available at Sprouts. republicoftea.com/
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“Dry” - a book of alcohol-free handcrafted cocktails
“Dry” by Clare Liardet arrives just in time to help with ideas that go beyond juice and soda. This handy little book offers 48 recipes for fun alcohol-free drinks. Some are variations on familiar cocktails. Martinis? Spritzes? A Pimm’s Cup? The recipes are here. But there are also recipes for teas and juicing, and delicious syrups like smoky lapsang and ginger with black peppercorn. A chapter devoted to “Fireside Glow” is perfect for this month. Our favorite was the After Eight Martini. This after-dinner drink looks just like a martini and tastes like the best hot chocolate ever, brightened by mint so it mimics the flavors of After Eight chocolates. Roasted Peach Lemonade? We can’t wait for summer to try this one. You’re going to enjoy these recipes all year long.
$14.95. Available anywhere books are sold including Amazon. theexperimentpublishing.com
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Mulling spices from Gather Spice Co.
Katie and Dustin Watts of K-Teas and Gather Spice Co. are purveyors of a wide range of beverages from pure teas to tea blends to a line of mulling spices in classic and spicy versions. Maybe you think mulling spices = warmed red wine, but we tried these spice pouches with hot apple cider. The classic has, yes, the classic spices of cinnamon and clove, but the pouch also includes hibiscus, allspice and cardamom pods. The spicy skips the hibiscus in favor of clove, peppercorns, ginger and red pepper flakes. There's nothing fiery about this spicy mix, just a bit of heat that you get at the end of your sip. We liked them freshly steeped, but left with the pouch until they cooled, then warmed again the next day, the cider had even deeper flavor. Delicious and perfect for January. After all, this is the month when you really need something that will warm you from the inside out.
$4.99 per 1-ounce spice pouch. Available at Citizen Supply at Ponce City Market and online at k-teas.com/.
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