Tea or coffee to start your day? Outside of the US, where two-third of American adults start their days with a cup of joe, tea is by far the most popular morning beverage.
And even Americans are increasingly catching on to the benefits of morning tea. Over half of Americans consume tea on a given day. Among Millenials and Gen Z, the numbers are even higher.
A cup of white tea in the morning, served gongfu style
Maybe it’s the subtler flavors that a good cup of tea provides, or maybe people are just looking to break the routine of that millionth mug of joe. It could also have to do with tea’s generally lower caffeine levels, which produce a well-rounded, energizing boost while avoiding the steep crash coffee often induces.
At white2tea, we’re fans of tea at any hour. But we think morning can be an especially rewarding time to enjoy a cup (or several). So which varieties are best for the morning, and how should you prepare them to make them taste their best? Is there a tea that will perfectly complement your eggs and toast, or your breakfast fruit bowl? Where to begin if you want to make the switch?
We’ll discuss all that and more below in this guide to morning teas.
A raw liubao, a heicha or dark tea, from Guangxi province
The best teas to drink in the morning
While there are no rules to tea — enjoyment is all that’s required — there are some tea varieties that pair particularly well with the early hours.
Traditional breakfast teas
Traditional breakfast teas are probably the most widely-known teas in the U.S., and you’ll find them on the shelves of virtually any grocery store in the country. There are several types of classic breakfast tea, but generally speaking, a classic breakfast tea will likely be a black tea variety, and will most commonly come pre-bagged. Below are a few of the most popular.
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is probably the most common tea on store shelves in the U.S. A black tea generally made with Indian varietals, Earl Grey is distinctive for its incorporation of bergamot, a small citrus fruit. While some brands may use actual bergamot peels, modern Earl Grey teas usually use artificial bergamot flavoring, producing a quite dominant citrus flavor.
Earl Grey is a classic for a reason, and for some drinkers, nostalgia alone may be enough to keep it in the rotation. But there are some things to keep in mind with this and similar standbys.
Earl Grey and other classic breakfast teas are usually sold bagged, and bagged teas often contain lower-quality leaves than loose-leaf black tea. The leaves inside also tend to be mechanically ground before packaging, which can release volatile flavor compounds during manufacture, making the tea less flavorful by the time it reaches store shelves.
Caveats aside, Earl Gray and similar teas are often affordable, and the fact that they’re bagged may add a measure of convenience for some drinkers.
Lapsang from Fujian, a higher-end option compared to other breakfast teas
Irish breakfast tea
Irish breakfast tea is another classic morning tea. It shares similarities with Earl Grey, but without the addition of bergamot flavoring. Irish breakfast teas are commonly made with Assam tea varieties, a strongly flavored Indian tea sometimes described as having a malty flavor.
Like Earl Grey, Irish breakfast teas are most commonly sold in bagged form, which can indicate lower quality tea leaves. Note that this is true of virtually all bagged teas, because while leaf fragments are unsuitable for sale as loose leaf, they can still be used for bagged teas.
Generally speaking, if you want high-quality tea, look for loose-leaf products like our bold Lumberjack Breakfast blend which balances the boldness of a traditional blend with the nuance you’ve come to expect from higher-quality loose-leaf tea.
English breakfast tea
English breakfast tea, another classic morning tea, is closely related to the varieties mentioned above. As with its Irish counterpart, it lacks the bergamot flavoring of Earl Grey, and usually incorporates Assam tea varieties. Unlike Irish Breakfast Tea, English Breakfast blends the bold Assam variety with milder varietals for a gentler flavor and lighter finish.
All of these morning teas will offer a familiar if unremarkable “classic” tea flavor. Adventurous drinkers may want something further off the beaten path, but they remain favorites among some casual drinkers. We’ve made a blend we call Fujian Breakfast that takes this classic style of morning black tea and ratchets up the quality a few notches for a higher quality morning nostalgia.
Our bud heavy white tea from Yunnan province called Silver Fox
Our top suggestions for morning teas
Virtually any tea can help you start your day, but there are a few varieties we think are especially good for that first cup of the morning.
White tea
White teas are minimally processed. This lends them a lighter, grassy or floral flavor profile that can be deliciously buoyant and well-suited to the early hours. White teas also tend to have relatively high caffeine content — roasting tea leaves removes some caffeine, and white tea undergoes no roasting — so they can provide the energizing boost many people are looking for in a morning brew.
A cake of Tiltshift, our bud heavy Yunnan white tea
Our 2024 Tilt Shift is a star of the morning hours, with a characteristic light touch. This shade-dried tea from Yunnan Province is bright and airy with just a hint of sweetness. It’s also a bud-heavy batch, which means it carries a substantial caffeine content — ideal for starting your day.
Wayward White, a loose leaf tea from Yunnan province
For a bolder flavor profile, Wayward White can be steeped for a long period of time for a weightier soup that’s good for savoring on a quiet morning. Grown in Yunnan Province, this tea is dried partially in the sun and partially in the shade, giving it a unique dual personality.
A small batch ripe Puer tea, also called shou or shu Puer tea
Ripe puer tea
Ripe puer tea is characterized by bold flavors that can contain notes of everything from chocolate to ripe stone fruits to smoke, along with characteristic woody notes. With its heavy body and lingering aftertaste, it has some similarities with coffee, so it can be a good choice for those trying to transition from their morning joe.
Our 2024 Cacao 80 has a heavy dose of chocolate flavors, and produces a mouth-coating soup that will definitely fortify you for the day ahead. This tea has a heavy punch of bitterness for those who like a black coffee adjacent bite for an alarm clock. This unique tea is a small batch shou Puer fermented under our own supervision and is unlike anything else out there.
For another unique twist on ripe puer, you can try our 2024 Jamrock Steady. This blend is our own creation, and produces a ripe puer with a level of complexity normally associated with aged raw puer. Complicated, assertive — it’s a tea that will give your tastebuds a wake-up call and a workout.
Black tea
The traditional breakfast teas mentioned above are all black varieties, and that’s no coincidence. With their rich flavor and stout, hearty soup, black teas are an excellent choice for a morning pot.
Drinkers who appreciate a black tea like English Breakfast will find a lot to like in a selection like our 2024 Dualist. Made with a large-leaf tea variety called assamica, we’ve been told it has the subtle sweetness of blueberry pancakes. What could possibly be a better match for the morning hours?
For a very different flavor profile — think herbaceous undertones and an assertive richness — our Spiced Lapsang is another great morning tea. It’s a smooth drinker offering a bold character that won’t overwhelm sleepy taste buds.
A teapot full of raw Puer tea ready for a morning session
Temperature and steeping times
There’s no wrong way to make tea — personal preference should always rule the day — but generally speaking, different tea varieties will benefit from different temperatures, leaf-to-water ratios, and steeping times.
As a general guideline, we recommend a 1:15 tea-to-water ratio, but some varieties will do best with higher or lower ratios. Read on for some brewing tips on specific varieties.
White Tea
White teas have a delicate flavor, so they often benefit from using a slightly less than average amount of tea. While our general guideline is to use 1 gram of tea for every 15 milliliters of water (a 1:15 ratio), try a 1:20 ratio for white teas.
The delicate flavor of white teas also does better at slightly cooler than average temperatures. Try steeping for 10-20 seconds at a temperature of 85° Celsius (185° Fahrenheit) to 100° Celsius (212° Fahrenheit).
The higher the temperature, the more heavy body and intense flavor; use your own tastes as a guide.
Ripe Puer
The bold flavors of ripe Puer take on special depth and complexity with longer steeping times. It’s also among the least bitter tea varieties, so you don't need to worry about over-steeping. Try a long, 30-second steep at 100° Celsius (212° Fahrenheit), and a ratio of as much as 1:10 for a thick, dense soup.
Black Tea brewed Grandpa style, directly in a mug
Black Tea
Like ripe Puer, black tea can also stand up to long infusions of 30 seconds or more. Try brewing at a 1:15 ratio, and aim for a temperature of 95° Celsius (203° Fahrenheit) to 100° Celsius (212° Fahrenheit).
Choosing the best tea for your morning needs
Caffeine content isn’t the only characteristic you should consider when you’re choosing morning tea. Most people will be looking for a bit of a boost in the mornings, so it’s an important consideration. But we would encourage drinkers to think beyond that narrow framework.
As you’re considering a morning tea, ask yourself: How gentle will this tea be on an empty stomach? How will it affect my digestion? What flavor profiles — bright and brisk or soothing and warming — will suit me best when I’m shaking off a night’s sleep?
Bud heavy green tea called Emerald Buds, from Guizhou province
Caffeine
The compound most people notice first when they drink tea is probably caffeine. Virtually all teas will contain some caffeine, and in the broadest terms, the less a tea has been processed, the more caffeine it will retain.
But that is far from the whole story. Roasting, drying, aging and fermentation can potentially reduce the concentration of caffeine in a given batch of tea. But those looking for a caffeine boost should focus instead on finding so-called “tippy” teas, those that contain lots of new growth leaf tips, aka buds, which are naturally high in caffeine.
A bud heavy black tea from Yunnan that we call Honey Needle
Honey Needle is an especially tippy black tea that makes for a great morning brew. Fruity and bold, it produces a satisfyingly rich soup that comes with a substantial caffeine kick.
Flavor
Flavor is highly personal — everyone’s palate is different — so there is no single flavor profile that is best for morning tea. On a busy morning, the crisp and bracing flavor of a fresh white tea might help get you up and moving. On the other hand, a ripe puer brewed gongfu style might perfectly match the mood of a quiet Sunday.
You could also consider a fast-brewing, light-on-its-feet green tea. We source some of the best varieties anywhere. We believe freshness is essential for green tea — its delicate flavors fade quickly after harvest — so we only sell one batch in the early spring.
You can join our tea club and mailing list to be notified when the next harvest is ready for delivery. Green teas are usually ready in mid- to late March, depending on the weather, with nearly every other type of tea imaginable delivered in other seasons.
Aged raw Puer tea, which drinks more smoothly and with less astringency than young raw Puer tea
Digestion
When you start your day, there’s likely nothing in your belly. That means it’s wise to make sure that whatever tea you choose will be gentle on your digestive tract.
All of our recommended teas above will fit the bill. Aged Puer especially can be a stomach soother, and will be gentle in those early hours. There are some really exciting and challenging teas, like freshly harvested raw puer, that aren’t so easy on the stomach. So while any tea can be enjoyed at any time, some may want to steer clear of those choices on an empty stomach.
A morning gongfu tea session to start the day
Pairing Breakfast Tea With Morning Foods
Cookies and pastries are the classic pairing when it comes to traditional morning teas. The relatively astringent flavor of those varieties can help cut through the sweetness, so the combination makes sense. If you’re planning a sweet breakfast, the black teas mentioned above will offer that same complementary flavor profile.
If you have a savory breakfast in mind, you can consider the 2024 Fifth Wave Mini, which is our effort to create a tea that has strong coffee vibes. Dark and nutty, this ripe puer would be right at home in a diner coffee mug, and makes a perfect complement for bacon and eggs. If you’re adventurous, you may even want a touch of smoke with that bacon, in which case our 2023 Stubb would slip some piney campfire feel onto the menu.
If you’re aiming for lighter fare — maybe some fresh fruit and yogurt — you can’t go wrong with our Fruit Bomb Lapsang. As the name suggests, this black tea is overflowing with fruit flavors that will complement a light morning meal.
Morning Tea Is Any Tea
We hope these recommendations and guidelines will help you choose the perfect morning tea for you, but — we also hope you feel free to ignore our advice. The tea you choose to start your day with should be an expression of your own choices. There are no rules.