There’s nothing like a hot cup of tea when the weather is chilly, and while warming a kettle on your stove is one way to go about getting your fix, there are other (perhaps better) options out there, too.
Too Soul Tea in Midtown isn’t just a haven for hot tea lovers. The menu of 50+ items also includes coffee, chai, tea lemonades and more. There is everything from African Rooibos teas to loose-leaf chai, and options in almost every color—green tea, black tea and white tea—making it easy to find a little something for everyone. Or perhaps, it’s impossible to choose.
Luckily staff is on your side, ready to dish the deets—good and bad—on their go to favorites.
A nod to the business name, Creamy Soulfuls are based with milk and made with sweeteners. These milk-based teas (that can also be concocted with dairy alternatives) sound like a long list of sweet pastries. Choose from Blueberry Muffin, made with vanilla Rooibos and finished with blueberry syrup and white chocolate; Caramel Apple Pop, using cinnamon apple black tea, caramel apple butter syrup, caramel, matcha and milk; Raspberries & Cream made with a base of raspberry black tea and finished with white chocolate and milk; or Fruity Pebbles, blue lady black tea, with white chocolate and milk.
If you prefer to dive into a more traditional and not-at-all sweet concoction, it’s the plain hot teas that will do the trick, perfect to treat that winter congestion and soothe any sore throat. The sheer number of options is overwhelming and includes everything from the basics – ginger root, peppermint, chamomile – to more creative options: spicy plum, island berry, lavender flowers.
This time of year, my go-to pick is a Vanilla Spice. It almost tastes like a spicy sugar cookie. Like most of the teas at Too Soul Tea, it’s bold and bright; it doesn’t have that watered-down taste some teas come with. Instead, it’s clear it’s steeped with a bountiful amount of loose leaves that create a spicy aftertaste. While it’s made with fennel, cinnamon and ginger, the overall flavor doesn’t mimic any one taste, however, the vanilla does stand out and balances the rest of the ingredients.
While the shop caters to tea lovers, there are options for coffee and hot chocolate, and this time of year we’re grabbing the gorgeously decorated and colorful sugar cookies on the front counter to enjoy with our sips. There’s also a case of canned drinks and small snacks as well as a few small breakfast items to enjoy to-go, inside or on the insulated patio.
