How to Host a Winter Tea Tasting at Home

To host a winter tea tasting, choose two contrasting fruit-and-spice blends, brew each according to its packet, and serve small, labeled portions before adding sweeteners or food. For four people, two 400 ml batches provide a 100 ml taste of each tea per guest.

This is an easy gathering for a cold afternoon: two teas, a kettle, a few small cups and time to compare. The plan below pairs a biscuit-inspired blend with a plum-and-cinnamon blend, so guests have a clear difference to explore.

Which teas make a useful winter comparison?

Choose two blends with a shared ingredient and a different leading flavor. That gives everyone something concrete to notice without needing a large selection.

• Biscuit-inspired spice: Teekanne Magic Winter Tea, labeled Winterzeit, combines fruit and spices with speculoos flavor. Its ingredient list includes hibiscus, apple, cinnamon, rose hips, orange peel and cloves.
• Plum and cinnamon: Teekanne Sternenleuchten is a flavored fruit tea with plum and cinnamon flavor. It shares several ingredients with Winterzeit, but offers a different fruit-and-spice comparison.

These are fruit infusions rather than plain black teas. Keep the boxes nearby so guests can read the exact ingredients and any dietary information on the packets you are serving.

How much tea should you prepare for four people?

For a small first round, set out:

• Two heatproof brewing vessels, each large enough for 400 ml of water.
• Two tea bags of each blend and 800 ml of water in total.
• Eight small heatproof cups, or four cups that you rinse between rounds.
• Labels, a timer, drinking water and a small plate of plain biscuits.

The 100 ml pours are a suggested tasting portion, not a full mug. Keep extra tea bags available for anyone who wants a full cup of a favorite afterward. Use larger vessels if you scale up, and leave room to pour comfortably.

How should you brew the two teas?

TEEKANNE’s Winterzeit directions and Sternenleuchten directions call for freshly boiling water and a steep of 5–8 minutes. Both pages use one bag per 200 ml in their prepared-tea information; the two-bag, 400 ml batches above keep that ratio.

1. Label the vessels before adding the bags so the blends do not get mixed up.
2. Pour the measured boiling water over the bags and start the timer.
3. For this comparison, use the same steeping time within the stated range for both blends. Follow your actual packet if its directions differ.
4. Remove the bags, divide each batch into four portions, and let the tea cool to a comfortable drinking temperature.

A small cup should receive a portion of fully brewed tea. Do not shorten the infusion simply because you are serving less of it.

What should guests look for while tasting?

Start with the tea on its own. Invite each person to smell the cup, take a sip and write down a few ordinary words: fruity, tart, cinnamon-like, biscuit-like or gently sweet. There is no required vocabulary and no winning answer.

Then ask three questions:

• Which aroma do you notice first?
• Does the fruit or the spice stand out more as the cup cools?
• Which would you choose for a full mug?

Offer water between teas. Add honey or sugar only after the first comparison, so guests can distinguish the blend’s own flavor from their preferred finishing touch.

What food should you serve alongside?

Begin with a plain biscuit so the tea remains easy to compare. Then offer something spiced for a second taste. Our Spekulatius guide explains the crisp German cookies that make a natural conversation partner for Winterzeit’s biscuit-inspired flavor.

Keep the food portions small and retain packaging for ingredient checks. A tasting needs only a few bites; guests can return to their favorite tea with a biscuit once the comparison is finished.

Winter tea tasting FAQ

Do you need special tasting equipment?

No. Clean heatproof cups, measured water and a timer are enough. Similar cups make the portions easier to compare, but a matching tea service is optional.

Should you add milk to both teas?

Start with neither milk nor sweetener. These two fruit infusions can be tasted as brewed, and keeping the first round plain makes their differences easier to notice.

Can you use different winter blends?

Yes. Choose two with clearly different flavor descriptions, then follow each package’s water quantity and brewing directions. Do not automatically apply the 5–8 minute method to black or green tea.