Milk thistle, dandelion, fennel, spearmint, ginger, and liquorice root make up this herbal blend, put together with an eye toward the morning after a heavy night out or a stretch of rich food. Each ingredient carries its own reputation in folk herbalism: milk thistle has long been associated with liver support, dandelion is traditionally used to support liver function and as a gentle laxative said to aid slimming, fennel has a history of easing spasms, wind, and abdominal cramps, and spearmint is a traditional remedy for heartburn, nausea, and poor digestion. Ginger is used in much the same way while also lending real warmth to the cup, and liquorice root rounds things out, valued traditionally for digestive complaints and prized here mainly for the sweetness it leaves behind.
In the cup the tea runs a deep jade colour, tasting grassy and herbal with a sharp ginger bite cutting through and a natural sweetness on the finish that owes everything to the liquorice. Spearmint and fennel sit more in the background than at the front, and the milk thistle and dandelion leaves give it a slightly bitter, green backbone typical of this kind of cleansing blend.
Steep it in freshly boiled water for around six to seven minutes, longer than a standard herbal infusion, since these are leaves and roots rather than delicate flowers and the extra time is what draws out the liquorice properly. A slice of lemon and a spoonful of honey suit it well, softening the grass notes and giving the ginger something to play against. Tea & Coffee packs it fresh to order in a card-and-foil pouch meant to keep it from staling, and once opened it is worth keeping in an airtight container, away from bright light and anything strongly scented, since dried mint and ginger pick up other smells easily.
It sits at the more medicinal end of the herbal spectrum: something reached for after a heavy week rather than an everyday brew, closer in spirit to a bitters blend than a bedtime tisane.
