Mint tea blends: flavor highlights
There’s nothing like a cup (or tall glass) of mint tea to freshen you up every day. Loose-leaf mint teas are crafted using a wide variety of tea bases (black, white, and most commonly, green), and accented with a range of herbs and spices (chamomile, lemongrass, and orange peel, all the way to cucumber, lavender, and chocolate). What they all have in common is the refreshing, sweet, uplifting notes of peppermint, or spearmint, or both.
How does peppermint differ from spearmint? 
Both peppermint and spearmint are used to prepare mint teas. But there are some key differences in their aroma and flavor. Spearmint, with a long history of use in medicinal green teas, is mild, sweet, and calming in nature. This makes it a key ingredient in a number of teas designed for sleep and relaxation. Peppermint contains menthol, which is responsible for its ‘livelier’ scent and taste, as well as its cooling effect. Though there are no fixed rules that govern mint tea recipes, peppermint is usually found in black tea blends with spicy add-ons such as ginger. Spearmint pairs well with green teas and oolongs.
Moroccan mint tea
Moroccan mint tea blends traditionally feature spearmint and Chinese Gunpowder tea. Whether to consume it sweetened is up to you, but the original recipe assumes a healthy dose of sugar, and it is nothing short of legendary.
Mint tea: tasting notes in reviews
Tea drinkers generally prefer mint teas for their “subtle,” “palate cleansing” nature and their ability to “soothe and refresh at the same time.” Classic Moroccan mint teas are spearmint based, though a number of modern variants include peppermint as well. They tend to be “sweet” and “easy to drink,” “quite vegetal,” “mildly minty,” with the tendency to “get bitter when oversteeped.” A strong spearmint tea works as a “good afternoon pick-me-up”; the taste of spearmint “tends to linger” for extended periods of time. Peppermint teas are often prepared with white tea bases and spicy accents for a “festive, wintery” feel. They taste “great with a little milk and sugar,” though neither is necessary.
Read on to find our top 10 recommended mint teas, including Moroccan Mint Tea and Peppermint flavored tea options.
Peppermint tea tips
Loose-leaf mint and peppermint teas give you a lot of room to experiment with flavor pairings. Citrusy accents such as lemon or orange peel add a nice depth to your cup of mint tea. Most mint tea varieties double up as refreshing iced drinks as well, especially with a slice of lemon added in.
Can you drink too much mint tea? 
For all practical purposes, no. Even multiple cups of peppermint or spearmint tea will use only a handful of mint leaves. Having said that, it’s important to bear a few things in mind before making mint tea an everyday fixture. Peppermint tea is not a great match for people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). That’s because peppermint can cause the esophagus muscles relax, potentially worsening any acid reflux you already have. Both peppermint tea and spearmint tea should be consumed in moderation during pregnancy, and you should check with your doctor about any potential drug interactions. Too much spearmint can have an adverse effect on the liver and kidneys, so talk to your doctor about how much you can safely drink if you have any existing liver or kidney conditions.
And we promised you a homemade fresh mint iced tea recipe.
Homemade Strawberry Mint Iced Tea
This super easy to make cold brew iced tea is healthy and inexpensive. It’s a great alternative to store bought sugary drinks. The cold brew method delivers a perfectly smooth flavor with no bitterness whatsoever.
Ingredients 
1 liter filtered water
2 tablespoons Dragonwell loose leaf green tea by Adagio Teas
½ lb fresh strawberries quartered
4 stems fresh mint or peppermint, leaves only
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
How to make
In a glass container, combine loose leaf tea and room temperature water and refrigerate overnight. The next day, filter tea leaves with a strainer. In a wide mouth glass water bottle or a pitcher, combine strawberries and mint leaves, add green tea brew and honey to taste. Leave to infuse for another 2-4 hours at room temperature. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon or cucumber. Enjoy!
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Dragonwell Dragonwell (Lung Ching or Longjing in local parlance) is one of China's most famous green teas, originating from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. This tea has a very distinctive shape: smooth and perfectly flattened along the inside vein of the leaf, the result of highly skilled shaping in a hot wok. This process, known as pan-firing or pan-frying, was perfected in China by tea masters over many centuries. It gives the tea an inviting, toasty aroma. Our fine Dragonwell green tea also has a sweet, rounded flavor, perhaps reminiscent of freshly roasted white corn. Full, nutty and buttery texture, and pleasantly dry finish. A truly satisfying cup of tea. |
Where to buy the best Peppermint Tea online?
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Pacific Coast Mint Tea Citrus, fresh, sweet. A sharp and smooth blend of organic spearmint and organic peppermint that are domestically grown and harvested on the picturesque Oregon and California coasts. This mint tisane is perfect for sipping any time of day or after a heavy meal. |
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Spearmint Leaf Tea A rejuvenating tea with a sweet, minty flavor. While primarily used to help with stomach ailments, spearmint has been linked to a number of other health benefits and may be used for them as well. |
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Moroccan Mint Green Tea An inspired rendition of the famous Moroccan mint tea, it's supremely refreshing. An enlivening tea, this blend of well-rolled, winter flush green tea, spearmint and peppermint leaves is one for stimulation. It's the tea you turn to in the middle of a long day when your spirits can use a bit of pick-me-up. It's perfect for bright sunny days and breezy evenings, regardless of whether it is steeped hot or served over ice. |
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Mint Melody Green Tea Loose Leaf A tantalizing blend of pure green tea with the refreshing notes of spearmint and peppermint The natural freshness of green tea mint will lift your spirits A perfect symphony of minty freshness, heavenly floral aromas, and the signature flavour of fresh greens of our green tea A joyous and refreshing herbal tisane A joyous and refreshing herbal tisane brought to you by our skilled master blenders. Our Mint Melody Green tea has the goodness of pure, fresh Himalayan Green tea with the intensely fragrant and rejuvenating notes of peppermint and spearmint. A perfect symphony of minty freshness, heavenly floral aromas, and the signature flavour of fresh greens of our green tea, this tisane allures your senses from the first sip! |
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Peppermint Leaf Starwest Botanicals is happy to provide you with the highest quality Peppermint Leaf as part of our extensive offering of bulk organic herbs and spices. Depending on how you would like to use it, you can select from natural or organic cut and sifted (C/S) Peppermint Leaf or Peppermint Leaf Powder Peppermint Leaf, which also known as Mentha piperita, Brady mint, balm mint, curled mint and lamb mint, has many useful properties. |
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Peppermint Herbal, Caffeine-Free Herbal, 30 Sachets A brisk, minty tisane, our peppermint herbal is from the finest peppermint leaves from Oregon. |
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Black Tea, Chocolate Mint China black teas are carefully blended with natural and artificial chocolate flavors and peppermint leaves. |
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Moroccan Mint Tea Delicate, fresh, sweet. Organic peppermint and spearmint are hand-blended with organic gunpowder green tea to create this refreshing blend. This cool, soothing mint tea adds a refreshing touch to any meal. |
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Tuscany Tea Calming, round, sweet. Tuscany is a delightful minty and delicate floral tea blend. Perfect as an after-meal pick-me-up or as a late-night elixir to refresh your mind and enhance your mood. |
More tea, please!
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Isabelle is a freelance writer, self-taught tea nerd, and tea blending enthusiast. She is a herbalist with a strong interest in Ayurveda. Each year Isabelle travels extensively, returning with tea samples from around the world. She is a big fan of handmade teaware and Japanese green teas.