Fall Is Coming—So Chill These Cozy Teas For Now
Summer doesn’t officially reach its denouement until Monday, September 21—the following day the fall equinox lands, and autumn gets its start. But for many of us, Labor Day Weekend, which this year begins tomorrow, serves as summer’s sendoff.
Either way, it sure doesn’t feel much like a seasonal pivot away from the hot months. Temperatures still in the 80s and even 90s. Oven-dry. Landscapes brown and crisp. We remember how just 20 years ago early September broadcast serious PSL vibes. Now it projects popsicle swagger.
Yet we crave flannel shirts and puffy vests, wool socks and scarves. Here’s a trick—get brewing those seasonal favorites, the ones that align with frost-stiff grass and atmospheric fireplace perfume. But sip ‘em iced. That way you receive a punch of practical—it’s hot outside, I want to drink something cool—with a dose of pumpkin-carving dreams.
Don’t fret—soon enough we won’t require strategies for experiencing seasonal thrills. They’ll cloak our days.
Here’s to fall! Time to get brewing, chilling—and sipping.
Autumn Bridge Teas: Golden Orchard Oolong Tea
We feel compelled to lead with oolong. For us, the style of tea is most representative of fall. Oolong delivers earthiness and honey, floral notes and apricot. When the season of falling leaves shows up, we pine for oolongs. This rendition ups the autumn ante with apple, cinnamon, hibiscus, almond, rosehip, elderberry, currant and aniseed. Call it a spectacle of fall attributes! It’s a beauty, and here for you across the puffy-vest season.
Autumn Bridge Teas: Shou Mei White Tea Cake
Aged teas rank as a must for autumn sipping. Teas like this Shou Mei, which means “old man’s eyebrow” in Chinese, bring lots of complexity to the tea party—a subtle, date-like sweetness, forest floor, a hint of dried hay. Simply spectacular. Herbalists embrace this tea from Fujian Province for its medicinal benefits, including improving the immune system and skin complexion, and detoxification. Over time, this aged tea becomes increasingly sweet, and the medicinal benefits grow more concentrated. The tea is grand today—and slightly different as time passes.
Autumn Bridge Teas: Mango Sticky Rice Green Tea Blend
This new addition to the Ku Cha family doesn’t exactly scream autumn. But as we are talking about “bridge” teas, those that straddle summer and fall, we think it fits perfectly. For one thing, it contains the fermented tea pu-erh, an earthy tea that satisfies sippers with extra oomph once the weather turns cooler. It’s got oolong, too—another autumnal style. More? You bet. This beauty also contains summery, grassy green tea. Toasted rice. It’s got mango, peach, peach blossom, calendula and sunflower. What a brew! Start sipping this immediately. And remember to try it cold—you’ll swoon.
Autumn Bridge Teas: Alpine Chai (Organic)
We dig chilled chai. The density of spices loses some of their heat when the liquor turns cold. Instead, they play with one another—nicely! This represents a perfectly balanced chai, with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg along with our beloved Keemun Monkey black tea. Chill it, baby! And prep yourself for the inevitable—the day you retire the t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops until 2027.
