Charlie Kingsley is not someone who overcomplicates things.
She’s an herbalist in a small town full of people who are always asking for something elaborate, and her answer, more often than not, is that the simple version works just as well. Candy Cane Concoctions is proof of that. It’s her Christmas blend, and it is exactly what it sounds like: black tea, candy cane pieces, peppermint leaves, and natural candy cane flavor. No mystery. No secret formula. Just a really good holiday tea that she’s been making every December for years.
The black tea base gives it a proper backbone — this is not a delicate, tiptoe-around-it kind of tea. It’s a mug-by-the-fire tea, a warming-up-after-shoveling-the-driveway tea, a this-is-Wisconsin-in-December-and-I-need-something-with-some-body tea. The candy cane pieces and peppermint leaves bring the cool, sweet, unmistakably Christmas flavor, and the natural candy cane flavor ties everything together into something that smells like the holidays the moment you open the tin.
Midnight the cat has strong opinions about the smell. Charlie has not asked for his input.
It’s simple. It’s festive. It’s exactly right for the season.
Ingredients: Black tea, candy cane pieces, peppermint leaves, natural candy cane flavor
Steeping instructions: 1–2 teaspoons per 8 oz. Steep in freshly boiled water (212°F / 100°C) for 3–5 minutes. Takes milk and sugar beautifully. Also wonderful served over ice as a cold brew during those deceptively warm Wisconsin autumn days before winter arrives properly.
Caffeine: Medium (black tea base). A solid morning or afternoon cup.
Size: 3 oz loose leaf tin (approx. 35–40 cups)
“It’s black tea, candy cane, peppermint, and candy cane flavor. That’s it. Sometimes the straightforward thing is the right thing. I stand by it.” — Charlie Kingsley