Founder's Favorites.

How do you pick which tea to drink? There are many technical and contextual reasons to pick a varietal, but more often than not it comes down to just picking what you're in the mood for. Black tea on a hectic Monday morning, a strong White when you're ready to focus, perhaps an Herbal for when you have company over and you want something easy-going and inviting.

So, here at Great Lakes tea, what's the tea for every mood?

New Friends: Blue People & Sticky Rice Puer

We love making new friends, and one of our favorite parts about making new friends is getting to host them so we can introduce them to a world of delicious tea! We often find that those interested in tea are put off by a lack of knowledge, intimidated by the sheer number of varieties, and have maybe never gone beyond store-bought teabags and Earl Grey blends.

To that we say: let's start simple.

Blue People

We love Blue People as a starting point for those coming from bagged tea. It provides a similar experience of blended flavors, while being a distinct and immediately noticeable upgrade from what they're used to. In short it is: bright, zesty, and energizing. We have many, many opinionated teas, but this one's a crowd pleaser! To date, the only feedback we have ever received from those introduced to Blue People for the first time is: "Oh, wow. That's delicious!"

As our flagship tea, you can't go wrong with Blue People's everyman appeal.

Sticky Rice Puer

For those that have already begun their tea journey or that already have experience with loose leaf teas, we introduce them to Sticky Rice Puer. From the first pour to the last— what a lovely aroma. For many of us, Sticky Rice Puer smells like home, family, and friends all wrapped up in one. A lovely flavor gradient of toasted rice and woodsy sweetness, with such a soothing aroma we almost wish we could turn it into a candle.

We could go to great lengths explaining it's history, makeup, and origins... but we rarely do. The very first sip of Sticky Rice Puer speaks for itself, and it usually starts with a sigh of contentment. Whether you're a lifelong tea drinker or someone with just a tad of experience: this is a tea that makes you smile.

Gallon of Energy: Pearl Jasmine

For those of us that have a little more experience with tea, sometimes you just want a lot of something. And that something needs to pack a punch. Whether you're starting your day or looking to moonlight into the one after, Pearl Jasmine has the unique distinction of being highly energizing and delicious when had in large volumes.

Highly caffeinated, delicious, and quite friendly to the Venti sized appetite. We would consider it borderline blasphemous to gulp your tea in most cases, but for this one... we'll make an exception. For those days you want something that drinks like a coffee but goes down and soothes like a tea, brew a batch and drink up!

Fair warning: A mug of this will keep you wired well into the afternoon. This is a tea that will amplify the senses and keep you going, going, going.

Something Different: Hibiscus

For the days when you know you want something just a little bit different. We like Hibiscus because it manages to be novel, flavorful, and unique all at once. Not a blend, not a leaf, and generally much harder to find than your typical varietals. This is a tea that is usually off the beaten path for those that typically drink loose leaf teas, but not too foreign to have on a lark. Great for when you're looking for something different but not too opinionated.

The Midnight Grind: Chrysanthemum & Rose

As entrepreneurs, after-dark conversationalists, and avid late-night gamers we often find ourselves on the wrong side of midnight. At least an hour or two left before we're ready to call it quits and in the mood for tea-- but we still have to wake up early the next day! What do you do in those situations? Chrysanthemum & Rose. This is technically two teas we carry blended together, but one that works as a great caffeine free alternative that still soothes and satisfies.

Many a night here at Great Lakes Tea has been spent nursing liters at a time of our Chrysanthemum and Rose over conversation / work / anime marathons, and we're quite fond of them both as the last stop before settling down for the night.

Buy Some Tea!

Enough talk, time to put theory into practice! Interested in buying some of these teas yourself? Check out our Tea Varietals!