If you have a witch on your gift list and aren't sure what to give him or her for the holidays, I have some great ideas for you. Each Wednesday from now until Yule, I'll be sharing a little list of gifts for witches and pagans (and a lot of them would make great gifts for regular folk too). My lists will emphasize hand crafted, ethically sourced, organic ingredients and natural materials. And most of what I feature will be created by small or family-owned businesses in the United States.
Today's gift list is all about witchy brews. All the witches I know love a good cup of tea or coffee, and if it's served in a hand-made witchy vessel, all the better. Best of all, a delicious brew is an appropriate gift for both your witchy best friend and the witch you don't know all that well.
Herbal Coffee from Mountain Rose Herbs. This caffeine-free brew has an earthy, roasted flavor reminiscent of coffee minus the jitters. Easy on the digestion and deeply grounding, it's one of the most delicious and relaxing evening brews I know of.
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Mountain Rose Herbs makes the following promise: "From product quality and sustainable packaging, to fair trade practices and watershed conservation, we take pride in doing business right. Our core belief that people, plants, and planet are more important than profit guides everything we do." On top of all that, their products are wonderful. On the rare occasion I have to buy herbs instead of growing or foraging them, I go to Mountain Rose.
Also Try: Forests Tea
Caramel Creme Brulee Tea from Tea Chai Te It's crazy how delicious this blend is. I've tried a lot of supposedly caramel flavored black teas that just tasted kind of weird and artificial. This blend is dessert in a cup.
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Tea Chai Te handcrafts their own tea blends and work with organic and fair trade ingredients, because "not only do we care about providing the public with health conscious & eco-friendly tea, we also care about working with companies around the globe who make their workers health needs a priority as well."
Also try: Dream Tea
Love Tea from Townshend Tea, "a mild aphrodisiac with a sweet, flowery flavor combined with cocoa and cloves." It's dreamy and exquisite, and who doesn't need a little boost of love in her life from time to time?
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Townshend Tea focuses on working directly with farmers to be sure tea producers are treated fairly. They also emphasize sustainability in their business practices, from recycling and compost to biofuel powered delivery vehicles and purchasing renewable energy.
Also Try: Créme de la Earl Gray, Masala Chai
Ristretto Roasters Tasters Set. If the witch on your list prefers coffee to tea (I hear this happens sometimes), Ristretto Roasters Coffee is sublime. Even their decaf is delightfully smooth and rich. The taster set offers three 4-ounce bags of their most popular blends.
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Handcrafted coffees produced by a small, local roaster who sources coffee directly from farmers and supports worthy organizations like the ACLU.
Also Try: Decaf Blend (trust me, it's tasty)
Blessed Be Mug by Anita Apothecary on Etsy: I covet this gorgeous, oversized ceramic pentacle mug and thought you all would too. Measures 5" in diameter, dishwasher and microwave safe.
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Handcrafted in the United States by a woman artisan who emphasizes natural and ethically sourced materials, and magically blesses and cleanses all her creations after they are made.
Also Try: Aphrodite's Tea Ritual
Witch's Brew Cauldron Mug from Sidhefire Arts. Shaped like a cauldron, complete with lid! Dishwasher and microwave safe, lead-free. Just be sure to order by November 30 if you want it in time for the holidays. (And if I'm on your holiday list, this is definitely a hint!)
Why You Can Feel Good About It: Hand-thrown by an independent female artisan in the United States.
Also Try: All the other mythology themed mugs. Seriously, they are gorgeous.
