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Most of us tend to start our day with a good brew—usually this contains caffeine. Whatever your preference, coffee and black tea tend to dominate our morning drink choices. While some of us enjoy the caffeine buzz and find it helps get us going, others avoid it, finding it a bit-overstimulating. For those who still want a warm and comforting drink without the caffeine, herbal lattes are a great and flavoursome alternative.
To create a herbal blend, first consider what properties you want it to have, then build your flavours around that. For example, if you want a warming, energy-boosting and circulation-stimulating blend, a chai spice blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg is perfect. If you want a soothing, calming effect, then lavender, rose, or chamomile are all good options. You could choose ginger or mint for a digestive blend, or adaptogens such as tulsi or ginko for mental and physical robustness. Other herbs to try are lemon balm—often incorporated in remedies to reduce anxiety—turmeric, an anti-inflammatory, or antioxidant-rich hibiscus. You could make a simple herbal latte using any singular herb of your choice. You could also use these formulas in spell work. For example, a potion to open the heart for love could consist of rose, hawthorn, hibiscus, and cardamom. The more comfortable you get with your herbology, the more creative you can be with your recipes and tailor them more specifically to your needs.
This recipe is my personal favourite blend, which I drink first thing in the morning to ground and centre myself. If you usually prefer caffeine in the morning, this might be a better evening drink for you (although even caffeine-lovers may enjoy experimenting with bringing in different energetic states to their morning).
A Herbal Latte for Centring
You will need:
½ tsp Lavender
1tsp Rose
1tsp Nettle (fresh or dried)
1tsp Tulsi
1tsp Chamomile
½ cup oat milk or coconut milk
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon agave or brown sugar (opt.)
To make:
Boil herbs in water and milk for 5 minutes.
Strain into mug or jar.
Use a hand blender, milk frother, or allow to cool slightly before lidding the jar and shaking to create a frothy latte.
Pour frothed mixture into mug or leave in the jar and stir, adding sugar or agave if preferred.
Top your latte with a sprinkle of herbs if you like.