If you are planning to fit in one last summer vacation over Labor Day weekend like many other Americans, then listen up. You don’t have to settle for hotel room varieties of tea bags or powdered iced-tea mixes from a drive-thru, for example. Take along the teas you love and brew them on the go. It requires a little extra space in your luggage and a little extra time, but it is well worth it when you want to enjoy vacation time down to the details. This means starting out the day with a good cup of tea. Whether you are planning the road trip of the decade or boarding a plane to get to your destination, here are a few tips that might come in handy.
Fly
Give up a little space in your carry-on bag for a single brew-in cup. For short trips, tea can be packed right inside the infuser to save even more space. A Travel Press is another handy choice for traveling with tea.
If you are staying in a hotel, many hotels have hot water available to their guests in the lobby area. If that is not the case, then run hot water through your in-room coffee pot to rinse out coffee smells first. Then run water through a second time to get hot water to pour over your tea leaves.
Drive
If you are driving to your vacation destination, many gas stations also offer hot water. The biggest factor in traveling with tea, however, is that you don’t have control over the temperature of the water. Of course you can always ask for ice cubes, bring a thermometer and take some time to get it just right. Remember, though, that you are on vacation. You don’t want to spend too much time on this and miss out on sightseeing or time with family or friends.
Instead, bring along teas that travel well and can take the heat (most gas station hot water is extremely hot). Black teas are the best choice such as Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, Traditional Masala Chai or Blacksmith Blend. But if you love a good cup of green tea, Pinhead Gunpowder can probably take more heat than most other greens and still taste good.
Of course, these are all good tips for enjoying your tea hot. Iced tea is another story and a little trickier one at that, but well worth it. Have you traveled with tea? What worked best for you?