The biggest thing hot tea helps me with is something I was scared to admit for a long time: I don't enjoy drinking water. I'm supposed to drink at least eight glasses of it a day? Ugh. Keeping myself hydrated feels like a chore if water's the only thing available. (It doesn't help that I feel cold easily, and cold water brings my body temperature down.) Hot tea is something I can look forward to, though! And since it's mostly water, it's a good source of hydration despite the caffeine content. The warmth and aroma, and the fun of playing around with styles and flavors, means I will actually go out of my way to stay hydrated. Let's be real, though, this means every month is Hot Tea Month for me—so what makes January different?

JANUARY IS COLD, TEA FAMILY. It's the coldest month of the year here in southeastern Virginia! It's a perfect time for hot drinks of all sorts, and one of my favorite winter drinks is cocoa—which is a problem. Many readily-available cocoa blends are just too sweet for me! If I drink some, I'll get that weird, jittery crankiness that comes when my body has had too much sugar. It feels much better to brew up a pot of our Chocolate black tea. It's made with pure cacao bean oil, so it tastes just as good, but it's much easier on my system! I'm a sucker for chocolate and peppermint combined, too, so my go-to comfort drink in January is our Yorktown Patty.

January is also a rough time for finding fun things to do outside, so I tend to have lots of board-game nights and movie nights. I like having drinks on hand that my friends will enjoy—not all of them drink alcohol or like how it tastes, but I've figured out which teas they like best. Party favorites at my house are our Gingerbread Tisane (cozy dessert in a cup), Cranberry Apple (tangy and caffeine-free), Keemun (classic and classy), and Williamsburg Port (delicious port wine taste and no need to call a cab afterwards). There's something satisfying about being able to offer a variety of hot teas to guests! It makes me feel like I'm good at being an adult.