Put the kettle on. Then put a record on.
That’s really the whole idea. This guide pairs five Sir Jason Winters teas with five kinds of music, matched by flavor, aroma, and the pace of the moment you’re in. There are no rules. Just a few combinations worth trying, and maybe a new favorite listening ritual by the end of the week.
Why Tea and Music Are a Natural Pairing
Tea and music go together because both are rituals built from small, deliberate steps.
You fill the kettle. You wait for the boil. You measure the leaves and set a timer. Music works the same way when you let it: you choose the album, press play, and give it a little of your attention for a while.
Neither one rewards rushing. A loose-leaf herbal blend can take a full 15 minutes to steep, which is about as long as it takes to settle properly into a record.
So pairing them is a choice, not an accident. You’re deciding what this particular half hour should taste like and sound like.
There’s a story behind the cup, too. Sir Jason Winters traveled widely and learned from herbal traditions in many cultures before settling on the blend that carries his name. That habit of exploring is why this guide jumps from a jazz record to a glass of Moroccan mint tea without apologizing.
Classical and Jazz: Original Blend with Chaparral
Original Blend is the tea for music that takes its time.
This is the blend Sir Jason Winters became known for, made with red clover, chaparral, gotu kola, and the signature Herbalene spice blend. The flavor is earthy and herbal, with a slightly bitter edge that some people sweeten and others wouldn’t dream of touching. Jazz has that same quality. A little grit under the polish.
Let the steep set the length of the session. The canister directions call for two teaspoons per pint of boiling water and a 15-minute steep. Start the timer when the first track starts. Miles Davis’s “So What” runs a little over nine minutes on its own, so by the time your tea is ready you’ll be partway into the second track of Kind of Blue.
Choose one long piece over a shuffled playlist. Classical works the same way. A single symphony movement or a full piano sonata gives an earthy cup room to breathe. Shuffle mode doesn’t.
Taste before you sweeten. Plenty of longtime drinkers take it plain. One sip first, then decide.
Each 5 oz canister of Original Blend Herbal Tea with Chaparral holds about 70 servings, and the loose-leaf blend is caffeine free.
A note on chaparral: Original Blend contains a very small percentage of the chaparral herb. We recommend that anyone with any kind of liver dysfunction or disease not use chaparral. Classic Blend with Indian Sage, below, is available as an alternative.
Folk and Acoustic: Classic Blend with Sage
Some music sounds like it was recorded in somebody’s kitchen. Classic Blend tastes like it belongs there.
It’s built on the same base formula as the Original, with Indian sage in place of chaparral. The cup is softer and a little more savory, herbal without the bitter edge. If the Original is a late set at a jazz club, this one is a front porch.
Folk and acoustic records fit that. Fingerpicked guitar, a voice that doesn’t need much production behind it, maybe a creaky chair somewhere in the mix. Nothing in the room is trying too hard. Neither is the tea.
Make it a Saturday morning thing. Brew a pot before anyone else is up, open a window, and let one acoustic album play all the way through without skipping. Saturday mornings don’t last long. Use one.
Try it iced when the weather turns warm. Herbal tea makes a good sun tea. Check the canister for amounts, set the jar in a sunny spot, and let the record play while it brews.
Lo-Fi Playlists: Chamomile Comfort
Lo-fi is music made to sit in the background. Chamomile Comfort is a flavor that does the same thing.
Inside the blend are chamomile flowers, lemongrass, spearmint, and lavender. It’s soft and lightly floral, with a little brightness from the lemongrass and a cool finish from the mint. Nothing about it shouts.
That’s the point. A good lo-fi playlist is dusty piano loops, a soft beat, maybe some rain layered underneath. You notice it when you want to. You forget it when you don’t. Chamomile Comfort is basically the tea version of that.
Pair it with a rainy afternoon project. Journaling, sketching, sorting old photos, finally writing those thank-you cards. Put on a lo-fi playlist like this one on Spotify, brew a cup, and get started.
Go back for seconds whenever you like. Chamomile Comfort is caffeine free, so a second cup fits any part of the afternoon.
Shop Chamomile Comfort Herbal.
World Music and Global Sounds: Moroccan Mint Green
Green tea and mint is one of the great combinations in tea history, and it comes with its own soundtrack.
Tea arrived in Morocco in the mid-1800s through trade. Over time, Moroccans made it entirely their own: gunpowder green tea, fresh mint, a generous amount of sugar, all poured from a height into small glasses. Today a pot of mint tea, called atay, sits at the center of Moroccan hospitality. Morocco World News has a good read on how tea became such a symbol there.
Moroccan Mint Green brings that green tea and mint pairing home. Bright, cool, aromatic. The mint arrives first and the green tea follows.
Match it with music that carries the same sense of place. Gnawa, with its deep, buzzing bass lute and clattering iron castanets. Oud recordings. Flamenco guitar. An afrobeats horn section. Build a playlist that moves around the map the way the tea did.
Pour it the Moroccan way. Lift the teapot as you pour so the tea falls into the glass from a few inches up. A light foam forms on top. It’s half the fun, and it turns an ordinary afternoon into a small occasion.
Know what’s in the glass. Moroccan Mint Green is made with green tea, so it contains naturally occurring caffeine. Worth remembering if you like your later cups caffeine free.
On the Go: Pre-Brewed Tea Original
Pre-Brewed Tea Original is built for the days when a 15-minute steep simply isn’t happening.
It’s the Classic Blend formula with oolong tea added, and the herbs are pre-brewed so the loose tea steeps in about a minute. Half a teaspoon per 8 oz cup is all it asks. Because of the oolong, it contains naturally occurring caffeine.
Pre-brewed doesn’t mean ready to drink, though. You’ll still need hot water. The trick is doing that part before you leave the house.
Fill a thermos before the road trip. Brew a few cups at home, pour them into an insulated bottle, and queue up the driving playlist. It’s good hot or cold, so it doesn’t much matter when you get around to it.
Make sun tea for outdoor shows. The canister directions include sun tea at one teaspoon per pint. Set a jar out in the morning and chill it before a park concert or a backyard listening party.
Check the venue first. Plenty of concerts and festivals don’t allow outside drinks, and most ban glass. Lawn concerts, picnics, and campsite sing-alongs tend to be friendlier territory.
Shop Pre-Brewed Tea Original.
Build Your Tea and Music Ritual
Three steps. Honestly, that’s enough.
- Pick a time of day. Just one. A slow Sunday morning, a rainy weekday afternoon, the drive out to the coast.
- Pick the tea that fits it. Earthy and unhurried, reach for Original Blend. Soft and floral, Chamomile Comfort. Bright and minty, Moroccan Mint Green. Use the pairings above or ignore them completely.
- Press play before the kettle boils. That way the music is already going by the time you pour.
Not every pairing will land. Some days the folk album and the sage tea will feel exactly right, and some days you’ll want lo-fi with everything. Fine. The ritual is the part that sticks.
Looking for more ideas? Our guide to daily herbal tea rituals covers more ways to fit a cup into your mornings, afternoons, and everything in between.
FAQ, Related Products and disclaimer
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these teas contain caffeine? Original Blend with Chaparral (loose leaf) and Chamomile Comfort are caffeine free. Moroccan Mint Green is made with green tea and Pre-Brewed Tea Original is made with oolong, so both contain naturally occurring caffeine. For Classic Blend with Sage, check the label on the format you buy, since the tea bags are made on an oolong base.
Can I drink these teas iced? Yes. Brew at double strength and pour over ice, or make sun tea. The Original Blend canister suggests two teaspoons per pint for sun tea, and Pre-Brewed Tea Original suggests one teaspoon per pint.
How long should I steep Original Blend? The canister directions call for two teaspoons per pint of boiling water and a 15-minute steep. Sweeten to taste, or not at all.
How should I store loose-leaf tea? Keep it in a sealed container away from light, heat, and moisture. A cupboard works well. The shelf above the stove does not.
Related Products
- Original Blend 5 Oz Herbal Tea with Chaparral: the original loose-leaf blend, earthy and herbal, about 70 servings per canister.
- Classic Blend Herbal Tea 5oz with Sage: the same base formula with Indian sage, softer and a little savory.
- Chamomile Comfort Herbal: chamomile, lemongrass, spearmint, and lavender in a soft, floral, caffeine-free cup.
- Moroccan Mint Green: green tea and mint, bright and aromatic, inspired by Moroccan atay.
- Pre-Brewed Tea Original: the Classic Blend formula with oolong, ready to steep in about a minute.
References
- Sir Jason Winters. “Original Blend 5 Oz Herbal Tea with Chaparral.” Ingredients, caffeine-free designation, servings per can, brewing and sun tea directions, chaparral advisory, and the account of Sir Jason Winters’ travels among herbal traditions. https://www.sirjasonwinters.com/product/original-blend-herbal-tea-5oz-with-chaparral/
- Sir Jason Winters. “Pre-Brewed Tea Original.” Ingredient list including oolong tea leaf, Classic Blend formula, and sun tea directions. https://www.sirjasonwinters.com/product/pre-brewed-tea-original/
- Sir Jason Winters. “The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Brewing and Enjoying Herbal Tea.” Chamomile Comfort ingredients, Classic Blend’s Indian sage in place of chaparral, Pre-Brewed steeping amount and time, caffeine in Moroccan Mint Green and Pre-Brewed Original, and storage guidance. https://www.sirjasonwinters.com/beginners-guide-brewing-herbal-tea/
- Morocco World News Lifestyle. “Tea’s Arrival and Symbolic Status in Morocco.” History of atay and its role in Moroccan hospitality. https://mwnlifestyle.com/2025/12/09/teas-arrival-and-symbolic-status-in-morocco/
- World Spice Merchants. “Moroccan Mint.” Mid-19th-century arrival of tea in Morocco, gunpowder green tea with mint and sugar, and the tradition of pouring from a height. https://worldspice.com/blogs/spice-101/moroccan-mint
- Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Columbia Records, 1959). Running time of “So What.”
- Spotify. Lo-fi playlist linked in the Chamomile Comfort section.
