Sure you can drink tea with Christmas dinner, but how about the rest of the holiday season? We’ve come up with tea pairings for other gatherings and quiet times around the main event, when tea might be even more important. Hope this gives you some ideas!

BEFORE DINNER
Get festive by mixing tea into a cocktail infusion or simply serving up the good stuff, like an Imperial Chinese Dragonwell with a charcuterie board or cheese and light dips. Now's the time for tea to make a splash!
 
READING/STREAMING
Go with the mood of what you’re reading or watching. For something healthy, pair a light oolong with fruit (figs!!) For chocolate or cookies (shortbread!!) stick to darker teas like an Assam. Maybe a roasted Chinese green for veggie chips. 

FACETIME
If you’re making tea before a conversation, then tea is part of that conversation, right? Reach for a favourite Earl Grey or something new, like a roasted Hojicha. Prep your tea, plunk down in your favourite spot and then consider who you and your tea are inviting into the convo. 
 
SWEETS & DESSERT
This is when tea can be a real lifesaver. A cup of Peppermint or Vanilla Almond Rooibos after a mammoth slice of pie or cake, can help you to avoid going back for seconds (or thirds). Most herbals are all about flavour without the need for added sugar. Hint: Rooibos also has mega antioxidants.

CHRISTMAS DINNER
We weren’t going to leave you in a lurch, not at Christmas!! Because the holidays are the time to indulge, we’re going to pass along a simple tip for pairing tea with dinner and let you choose from there. Pair lighter teas with lighter meats or seafood, and go darker with lamb or ham, and darker still with beef. Stay away from herbals as they can offer too much flavour contrast.
 
LEFTOVERS
Because leftovers comprise only parts of a holiday dinner without the trimmings, there’s latitude for something a bit more exotic. Turkey sandwiches with a floral Jasmine, or a veg plate with a roasted oolong. Genmaicha, with its roasted organic brown rice, would kick up the flavour of a chicken broth.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg for enjoying tea throughout the holidays. Teas and herbals offer a versatility unmatched by other beverages. Tea is tasty, it’s contemplative and part of a healthy lifestyle. Unlike a cringe-worthy Christmas sweater, tea will never let you down.