Love Tea, But Don’t Love the Process of Steeping and Brewing? You HAVE to Try Tea Drops
I've always been a big tea drinker, and while I often appreciate the mindful step-by-step process of brewing and savoring a nice cuppa, there are times I'd rather skip all of those steps and just enjoy my tea.
That's what immediately intrigued me about Tea Drops. The brand specializes in real leaf teas that are dissolvable in water so that your tea is ready in an instant. Curious, I reached out to Tea Drops, and their team was kind enough to send me a few varieties of Tea Drops, including a couple of fun seasonal flavors to try. Keep reading to learn all about the brand and to find out what I thought when I finally got to taste them.
The Brand
Tea Drops makes organic whole leaf teas that are then pressed into fun shapes with ground spices and cane sugar. When dropped into hot water, they dissolve, instantly transforming the water into a delicious tea. That means you never have to wait to let it step, or to deal with messy dripping tea bags. It also means 15% less waste, as you don't have to toss tea bags and sugar packets. Both the wrapping around Tea Drops and the cardboard cylinders they're contained in are completely recyclable.
Tea Drops can also be used in either hot or iced teas. For hot drinks, just place a drop in eight to 12. oz. of boiling water. For iced tea, add a Tea Drop to two to four oz. of boiling water and then dissolve before adding your cold water and ice. Each Tea Drop is only slightly sweet, with about a teaspoon of sugar, and you can also add milk to taste, depending on your flavor of choice. That seriously makes the process of making iced tea that's not weak or watered-down easier than ever.
Tea Drops are also kosher certified and fair trade, and the brand even donates a year's supply of clean water through the Thirst Project for every box of tea they sell. Plus, every cylinder contains 10 individually wrapped Tea Drops that you can enjoy at home or on the go.
The Tea Drops
Blueberry Açai Tea: $14
Calories: 10
The Tea Drops team only sent me one Blueberry Açai Tea Drop, but that was all I needed to fall absolutely in love with the flavor. It was so easy—I just had to put the heart-shaped drop into a little hot water—and then I mixed it all up, added ice and was ready to sip. The fruity blueberry and açai flavors were the perfect complements to the slightly floral notes in the white tea, and it had just the right amount of sweetness to make the perfect tasty iced tea. It was all too easy to drink the whole thing down, and made me very excited about the rest of my Tea Drops adventure.
(via Tea Drops)
Pumpkin Spice Tea: $16.80
Calories: 30
With Halloween just around the corner, I had to try the Pumpkin Spice Tea next, and it didn't disappoint. This rounded drop is made with black Assam tea plus all of the cloves, pumpkin, allspice and cinnamon you'd expect in pumpkin spice, as well as vanilla, and all of the flavors come through beautifully. I happen to like mine with a dash of half-and-half to create the perfect fall tea. I also recommend melting one of these Tea Drops in your coffee to make your own ridiculously easy PSLs at home—though you may also want to add a little extra sugar to taste. Also, with black Tea Drops teas, I've found there can be a lot of natural sediment at the bottom of each cup when you get to the last sips. It has a gritty texture and can be a bit bitter, so even though I try to drink it to not be wasteful, I don't blame anyone who'd rather wash the last bit down the drain.
(via Tea Drops)
Chai Spice Black Tea: $14
Calories: 25
While chai might not officially be a fall flavor, I happen to associate the warming, delicious spices with the season, so I tried this one next. The star-shaped drop is made with black Assam tea, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger to pay homage to classic masala chai teas, and it beautifully captures those essences. Again, I think this tea is best served with your favorite milk, creating a drink that's delicious hot or cold, with a spicy kick to get you through the day. It's also an awesome addition to coffee to create your own dirty chai—even if it might leave a little bit of chalkiness at the bottom of your cup.
(via Tea Drops)
Chocolate Gingerbread: $16.80
Calories: 25
Last, but definitely not least, I tried Tea Drop's festive Chocolate Gingerbread tea. This one is also made with black Assam tea, but adds real cocoa, plus the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger flavors you'd expect from gingerbread, and brings them all together into one tasty drink. The result isn't quite like hot cocoa, but has a hint of chocolatey sweetness backed by fiery ginger that gets you in the back of the throat. It's delicious, warm and just the thing for the holidays.
(via Tea Drops)
Bottom Line
If you love tea but don't love the wait, I can't recommend Tea Drops enough. They have beautifully crafted flavors that are unlocked instantly when you add hot water, making it easier and faster than ever to enjoy teas—especially when you like them over ice. They also pack way less sugar than other similar drinks, and at $1.68 or less per cup, they're pretty affordable, too. And while the grainy bits the black tea flavors leave at the bottom of the cup may turn some people off, they're just a sign that Tea Drops uses real tea, and no one will blame you if that last bit just goes in the sink.
Like all kinds of unique tea? Click HERE to read all about O's Bubble and their instant at-home boba kits.