These New Loose-Leaf Teas Are so Chic, I Actually Want to Leave Them Out on Display in My Kitchen

I love drinking tea year-round, but especially once the temperatures drop below freezing. On some winter mornings, I’ll opt for a cup of hot, citrusy green tea instead of reaching for another coffee refill from my French press. After a big meal, I’ll brew a pot of spicy cinnamon chai or an herbal ginger-lemon blend to help me digest. My partner and I love to sip lavender or chamomile tea before bed to unplug, wind down, and reconnect. In short: I tend to sip different tea blends based on my mood. Recently, I discovered a new loose leaf tea brand that has seriously elevated my mood, no matter what time of day.

Introducing: Firebelly Tea, a chic new loose-leaf tea and tea accessory brand. Their Cold War Tea Sampler is getting me through these chilliest of winter days.

The latest venture from David Segal (the founder of DAVIDsTEA), Firebelly’s approach to tea is simple, design-centric, and refreshing. The brand curates tea and tea accessories designed for the modern tea drinker, with an assortment of products that include teas and tea blends formulated for relaxation, rejuvenation, and focus — all packaged in color-coded boxes that actually act as a clever guide to the perfectly brewed cup. I should mention that Firebelly also makes gorgeous tea accessories, including a small ceramic teapot that looks like a modern piece of art and was designed to brew exactly one cup.

I’ve tried several delicious blends from the brand’s lineup, but there’s one special set I keep returning to this winter: Firebelly’s Cold War Tea Sampler. This sampler includes a trio of three teas: Zest For Life (a tummy-relieving ginger tea), A Good Root (an anti-inflammatory turmeric blend), and ⁠— my personal favorite from the bunch⁠ — A Breath of Fresh Air (a tasty peppermint and eucalyptus blend perfect for cold and flu season). If you’re already a fan of mint tea, I can’t recommend A Breath of Fresh Air highly enough. It’s simultaneously cooling and warming, and it’s helped calm my congestion before hopping into bed.

I already felt there was something meditative about brewing a pot of fragrant herbal tea at night, but these additions from Firebelly have given my nighttime tea ritual a modern, functional upgrade. Consider Firebelly your Pantone color guide to the perfect cup of tea.

Buy: Firebelly Tea Cold War Tea Sampler, $18.95