Ku Cha’s Guide to a Proper Summer Send-Off
Yes, the heat persists. Melons, zucchini, basil, corn—they still flood farmers markets booths. Sunlight’s hold over the days’ hours remains stout, and pitchers of frigid iced tea sit parked on fridge shelves.
But friends, summer’s entering its last act of 2026. Within weeks, it’ll take a bow—accepting bouquets of roses and waving goodbye as it steps behind the curtain and beckons autumn to swan on stage.
Given this summer’s heat, we don’t think many people will weep for its seasonal retirement. But we also believe it deserves a proper send-off—a tea-driven celebration before the arrival of sweaters, apples and gold leaves on aspen trees.
We’re still donning flip-flops and tees; running the A/C; leaping into pools. But many among us are already back at school. For them, summer’s end feels thematically real, even if the atmospheric conditions lean peach more than pumpkin spice.
Let’s brew, and luxuriate in summer’s final weeks with some warm-weather tea, shall we? Because before we know it, fall will take center stage. Our tea preferences will shift away from the things we sipped during the hot months. And then, before we know it, the holiday season takes over. All of these tea suggestions sing both hot and iced.
Don’t forget to snag our Grilled Peach Blend and Fruit Punch Blend this month—these seasonal treasures go away after Labor Day!
Late-Summer Teas: Grilled Peach Blend
Feeling peachy? Of course you are. But in many places around the country, harvesting of the summer’s most iconic fruit—well, along with watermelon—is nearly done. No worries! We developed this blend explicitly for you. During these last weeks of summer, sink into the glories of the peach, one sip at a time. This blend begins with charming oolong and strong black tea, both of them a traditional Camellia sinensis teas. Then comes the spectacle of summer: real peach, pineapple, apple, mango, black and pink peppercorn, peach blossom (!), calendula and sunflower. Keep summer alive, with Grilled Peach Blend!
Late-Summer Teas: Fruit Punch Blend
If you’ve got kids, chances are you encounter plenty of fruit punch all summer. It’s not exactly grand—artificial flavors, hillocks of sugar, food dyes out the wazoo. But the real stuff? Grand, indeed. A joy for adults, too. That’s why we created our Fruit Punch Blend—to capture all of the good bits about classic fruit punch, without the many pitfalls. Check out this ingredient list: mango, orange, cherry, pineapple, strawberry, apple, hibiscus, rose, rosehip, elderberry, beetroot, marigold, strawberry leaf, blackberry leaf. All of them REAL. This rich summer pleasure deserves a spot during your summer send-off—it’s summer in a glass.
Late-Summer Teas: Firefly Chai
This one, like most chais, dwells mostly in the Land of Autumn. But hey—while we’re toasting the summer of ’26 with teas that reflect the warm months, why not look ahead? Why not showcase a taste of what’s on tap as the days shorten, temperatures dip, leaves transform and soup returns to the stove? Think of our Firefly Chai as summer’s hand-off to fall. We think it’s an awfully good chai candidate, too. First off, the name refers to summer—nobody encounters fireflies when snow blankets the ground. In addition, this chai can straddle seasons with aplomb. Black tea, ginger root, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg—classic baking spices, essence of fall, sure. But it also lacks the black pepper, turmeric and other botanicals that can give chai extra punch. Laced with a sweetener, textured with a lashing of cream of some stripe? Kind of perfect, even for the last days of summer.
Late-Summer Teas: Rooibos Creamsicle
Creamsicles stand right up there with watermelon slices and corn on the cob as stand-ins for summer. The classic popsicle, invented in 1937, was probably the first popsicle with an ice cream center. Just the scent of a Creamsicle—orange, vanilla—can send us into paroxysms of summer bliss. We sought a tea to deliver Creamsicle vibes, and crafted a beauty here. The tea leads with rooibos, the South African shrub with slightly earthy notes and packed with health benefits. To that we added orange peel, yogurt (for creamy mouthfeel), sugar and vanilla. Sip it year-round for summertime feels. And include it in your late-August summer send-off!
