Our Spill the Tea program will finish at the end of 2025. Thanks for participating!
Spill the Tea is a monthly Take & Make Tea Kit featuring a variety of unique teas and tea blends.
A majority of the teas have been generously donated by Fava Tea Company, a Wisconsin-owned business.
Take & Make Tea Kits are free, but supplies are limited. Please take one kit per household. Pick up at the Town Hall Library’s Adult Services desk.
December's Tea: Candy Cane Lane Black Tea
With both peppermint leaves and candy cane pieces, this black tea offers a brisk, flavorful drinking experience with a lingering sweetness.
Perfect for enjoying on a cold winter’s day!
The 2 tsp. serving of tea included in the kit is enough for a 16 oz. serving of hot tea.
| Ingredients | Black tea (Sri Lanka), candy cane pieces, peppermint leaves, natural candy cane flavor Contains trace amounts of sugar. |
| Caffeine | Caffeinated |
| Flavor Profile | Bold, Creamy, Mint |
| Steep Temperature | 212° F |
| Steep Time | 3 minutes |
2025 Tea Schedule
Highlighted Blue: Click to Learn More
February
German Chocolate Cake Rooibos Tea
March
Wisconsin Ginseng Green Tea
April
Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong Tea
May
Vanilla Matcha
Tea Powder
June
Orange Pekoe
Black Tea
July
Chamomile Lavender Herbal Tea
August
Mint Julep
Green Tea
September
Earl Grey
Rooibos Tea
October
O’ Great Pumpkin
Chai Tea
November
Roasted Almond
Chai Tea
December
Candy Cane Lane Black Tea
What is Tea
Every type of tea originates from the Camellia Sinensis plant, a warm weather-loving evergreen. How the leaves are processed determines the type of tea that it becomes. During the processing of tea, leaves undergo natural chemical reactions and oxidation that result in the distinctive smell, color, and taste characteristics that make each type of tea.
Tea is grown in the major tea regions of China, Japan, India, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka. In addition to its great taste and aroma, tea is well known for its health benefits and stress relief abilities.
History of Tea
No one knows for sure exactly where tea came from, but it is estimated that tea goes back 5,000 years! The first reference to tea is in 350 A.D. when Chinese scholar Kou P’o wrote about a beverage “made from the leaves by boiling”. In 780, the first book of tea was published: the Ch’a Ching (The Classic of Tea) by Lu Yu.
In the early 17th century, Dutch traders brought tea from China and Japan to Europe. By the mid-1600s, tea had been introduced to America. America’s contribution to the tea culture includes iced tea and the tea bag.
Types of Tea
Black tea: is the most commonly consumed tea in the world; accounting for approximately 80% of all tea consumption. Black teas are the most processed (or oxidized) of all teas. Many black teas offer the boldest aroma and taste of any other type of tea. If you like bold taste, a black type may be your cup of tea.
Oolong tea: taste ranges between green and black tea— often called the “Champagne of Teas”. Oolong teas offer a full flavor without the bitterness tendency of some black teas. The varieties of oolong tea differ greatly in flavor, depending on the amount of time that the leaves are given to oxidize. If you like a smooth full full-flavored tea, Oolong is the tea for you!
Green tea: leaves are often steamed or pan-fired, rolled, and dried to give their distinctive taste and flavor. Green tea is most often known for the many amazing health benefits that it touts. You can expect mild to bold flavors from grassy to sweet that will suit any tea moment— hot or iced.
White tea: is the most subtle of all the varieties of tea, using only the finest tea leaves from each bush with minimal processing. Considered by most to be the highest quality and most delicate of tea. New studies show that white tea is 10% more effective in improving immune health than its green cousin. Expect a smooth taste and a light finish with great fruit infusion options!
Herbal tea: is simply the combination of boiling water and dried fruit, flower, root, seed, and/or herb. Herbals usually offer a wide selection of decaffeinated teas in many different flavors. You can expect to find an herbal to meet a variety of tastes.
Rooibos (pronounced Roy Bus): is a flavorful, caffeine-free alternative to traditional tea for those seeking to eliminate caffeine. With a diverse selection of scents and flavor blends, Rooibos tea has made its name as a major type of herbal tea due to its versatility. Rooibos is also known as redbush or red tea and can be enjoyed hot or iced.
Matcha Tea Powder: is an increasingly popular beverage in the Western world, matcha is a fine powder made from green tea leaves. Most often, the tea plants cultivated for matcha are grown in Japan, where it originated, and all variations are shade-grown. This shields the plant from direct sunlight and incites an over-production of chlorophyll, which contributes to the bright green coloring. It also increases the amino acid theanine, which provides the grassy flavor. The leaves are then hand-picked, steamed, dried, destemmed, deveined, and ground into a fine powder.