McEntee’s Tea Time Moments - Blog

There’s something so important about a morning cup of tea. Before the emails, the commute, or the to-do list begins, tea offers a moment to reset and ease into the day. But not all teas and not all timings are created equal. So what is the best tea to drink in the morning, and when should you actually be drinking it?

What Is the Best Tea to Drink in the Morning?

The “best” tea in the morning depends on what you need from your day, but a few clear favourites stand out.

Black Tea: The Classic Wake-Up Call

If you’re looking for a gentle caffeine boost without the intensity of coffee, black tea is your go-to. Rich, full-bodied, and familiar, it helps improve alertness while still feeling smooth and balanced. It’s perfect for easing into your morning without the jitters.

Green Tea: Clean and Focused Energy

For those who want a lighter start, green tea offers a more subtle lift. It contains less caffeine but is packed with antioxidants, making it ideal for sustained focus and a calm, clear head.

Herbal Tea: A Softer Start

Not everyone wants caffeine first thing. Herbal teas like mint tea or chamomile are great if you’re looking for something soothing, especially on slower mornings or weekends. They help hydrate and gently wake the body without stimulation.

Breakfast Blends: Made for Mornings

Blends specifically crafted for mornings, like Irish or English Breakfast teas, are designed to pair well with food and provide a balanced, energising start. They’re strong enough to wake you up, but smooth enough to enjoy daily.

What Is the Best Time of Day to Drink Tea?

Timing your tea can make a real difference in how you feel throughout the day.

Early Morning (7:00 to 9:00 AM): Ease Into the Day
It might be tempting to reach for tea immediately after waking, but your body is still naturally waking itself up. Drinking tea about 30 to 60 minutes after you wake can help you get more out of its caffeine and avoid overstimulation.

Mid-Morning (10:00 to 11:30 AM): Peak Productivity
This is often the ideal time for your first or second cup. Your energy levels are stabilising, and tea can enhance focus without disrupting your natural rhythm.

Afternoon (1:00 to 3:00 PM): Beat the Slump
Instead of another coffee, tea is perfect for that post-lunch dip. A lighter black tea or green tea can give you just enough lift to stay productive without affecting your sleep later.

Evening (After 6:00 PM): Wind Down
If you’re craving a cup later in the day, switch to herbal teas. They help you relax and signal to your body that it’s time to slow down.

Finding Your Perfect Tea Ritual

At the end of the day, the best tea and the best time to drink it is the one that fits naturally into your routine. Whether it’s a strong, comforting cup in the morning or a calming blend in the evening, tea is less about rules and more about ritual.

So tomorrow morning, take a moment. Put the kettle on, choose a McEntee’s Tea that suits your mood, and give yourself a slower, more intentional start to the day.

For a while, tea had an image problem. It felt traditional, dependable, maybe even a little predictable. It lived in kitchen cupboards beside the sugar bowl and the good mugs. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. It certainly wasn’t trending.

And then something shifted.

Suddenly, tea was everywhere again, but reimagined. On TikTok, in morning routine videos, in “soft life” aesthetics and study-with-me clips. Gen Z didn’t just rediscover tea. They reframed it.

Brands like McEntee's Tea are quietly positioned right at the centre of this shift, not because they changed what tea is, but because culture changed how tea is seen.

The Matcha Gateway

For many, it started with matcha.

Iced matcha lattes in clear glasses. Carefully whisked powders. Calm, clean energy. Matcha became more than a drink, it became a vibe. It symbolised control in chaotic schedules and softness in a hustle-heavy world.

But what matcha really did was reintroduce an idea: caffeine doesn’t have to feel frantic.

That discovery opened the door back to tea in general. Traditional black tea, especially strong Irish blends, offers that same steady focus. It energises without overwhelming. It supports rather than spikes.

And for a generation more aware than ever of anxiety and burnout, that difference matters.

A Reaction to Constant Noise

Gen Z grew up in the scroll. Notifications, content cycles, algorithm shifts, everything moves quickly and constantly. The reaction to that intensity has been a craving for slower rituals.

Tea demands pause. You boil the kettle. You wait while it brews. You pour.

It’s simple, but that simplicity is powerful. Even three minutes of waiting creates a break in the rhythm of the day. It turns caffeine into a ceremony.

A mug of McEntee's Tea isn’t just fuel, it’s structure. It marks the morning. It marks the study break. It marks the wind-down.

In a world that blurs everything together, tea creates gentle boundaries.

Wellness, But Grounded

Gen Z is deeply wellness-aware, but also skeptical of extremes. They’re not chasing crash diets or intense biohacks as much as they’re looking for everyday sustainability, habits that feel realistic.

Tea fits naturally into that mindset. It’s uncomplicated. It doesn’t promise miracles. It doesn’t need a rebrand to feel clean or intentional. It already is.

Strong black tea offers antioxidants and hydration. Herbal blends support digestion or sleep. Sustainable packaging and biodegradable tea bags align with environmental values that matter deeply to younger consumers.

It’s wellness without the performance.

The Shift Away from Alcohol

Another major cultural shift is happening quietly: less drinking.

More young people are embracing sober-curious lifestyles or simply choosing nights that don’t revolve around alcohol. The ritual of having “a drink” hasn’t disappeared, it’s evolved.

Tea has stepped into that space.

An evening mug while watching a film. A cosy brew during a long conversation. A wind-down ritual before bed. It feels indulgent but grounding. Social but soft.

It gives comfort without the consequences.

Rediscovering Tradition

What’s interesting is that Gen Z doesn’t reject tradition, they reinterpret it.

What once felt like something reserved for grandparents now feels authentic and reassuring. In a culture of fast trends and disposable aesthetics, something that has always been there suddenly feels stable.

Irish tea, in particular, carries weight. It’s strong. It’s straightforward. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else. And maybe that’s the real reason tea is making a comeback.

In a generation overwhelmed by choice, stimulation, and noise, tea offers something radically simple: boil water, brew, sit down. No algorithm. No crash. No chaos.

Just a pause and sometimes, that’s exactly what people are looking for. 

ou can now log into your online account to take full control of your delivery schedule, including changing the frequency of your orders and adding or removing products.

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Every year on March 17th, Ireland and the Irish diaspora around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, a day filled with music, community, storytelling, and of course plenty of refreshments. While modern celebrations are often associated with pints and parades, there is another deeply rooted Irish tradition that has quietly been part of the day for generations — a good cup of tea.

The Origins of St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day commemorates St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in Britain in the late 4th century, Patrick was brought to Ireland as a slave before eventually escaping and later returning as a missionary.

Over time, his legacy became woven into Irish culture and identity. March 17th, believed to be the date of his death in 461 AD, gradually became a day of remembrance and celebration.

Originally, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious feast day, marked by church services and family gatherings. In fact, for much of the 20th century in Ireland, pubs were closed on March 17th. The day was more about community, hospitality, and sharing food and drink at home.

And what drink was always on the table?

Tea.

Ireland’s Love Affair with Tea

Ireland is one of the largest tea-drinking nations in the world. Tea became popular in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries and quickly became a staple of everyday life. It was affordable, warming, and perfect for bringing people together.

By the time St. Patrick’s Day became widely celebrated, tea was already the centre of Irish hospitality.

Visitors calling to the house on March 17th would often be greeted with:

• A pot of strong Irish tea

• Fresh bread or cake

• Plenty of conversation and laughter

Even today, many Irish families start St. Patrick’s morning with a strong cup of tea before heading out to parades, community events, or meeting friends and family.

Tea and Irish Hospitality

In Ireland, tea has always meant more than just a drink. It represents welcome, warmth, and conversation.

Whether it’s:

• catching up with neighbours,

• warming up after a parade,

• or settling down after a busy day of celebrations,

there is always time to “put the kettle on.”

At McEntee’s Tea, we love continuing this tradition — bringing people together over a proper Irish cup of tea.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with McEntee’s Tea

This St. Patrick’s Day, we’re celebrating the tradition of tea with a special offer.

Use the code:

LUCKYDAY10

and enjoy 10% off your order at McEntee’s Tea.

The code is valid until midnight on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th).

So whether you’re hosting friends, watching the parade, or simply enjoying a quiet moment with a warm cup in hand, make it a proper Irish brew.

☘️ Shop now at:
https://mcenteestea.com

A Final Thought

St. Patrick’s Day has grown into a global celebration of Irish culture, but at its heart it’s still about community, tradition, and hospitality.

And sometimes the most authentic way to celebrate is also the simplest.

A kettle on.
A cup poured.
And a moment shared.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from McEntee’s Tea. ☘️

If you’ve ever taken a sip of a strong breakfast tea and thought, “That’s powerful,” there’s a good chance you were drinking CTC tea.

But is CTC tea actually stronger? Does it contain more caffeine? Or does it simply taste bolder? Let’s clear up the confusion.

What Is CTC Tea?

CTC stands for Crush, Tear, Curl, a method of processing black tea leaves where they are mechanically rolled into small, hard pellets. This technique is widely used in regions like Assam and Kenya, known for producing robust, full-bodied teas.

Because the leaves are broken into much smaller pieces than orthodox tea, they have more surface area. This allows water to extract flavour, colour, and caffeine very quickly. The result is a dark, strong cup in a short amount of time — which is exactly why CTC is the foundation of traditional Irish breakfast teas.

If you’ve ever taken a sip of a strong breakfast tea and thought, “That’s powerful,” there’s a good chance you were drinking CTC tea.

But is CTC tea actually stronger? Does it contain more caffeine? Or does it simply taste bolder? Let’s clear up the confusion.

What Is CTC Tea?

CTC stands for Crush, Tear, Curl, a method of processing black tea leaves where they are mechanically rolled into small, hard pellets. This technique is widely used in regions like Assam and Kenya, known for producing robust, full-bodied teas.

Because the leaves are broken into much smaller pieces than orthodox tea, they have more surface area. This allows water to extract all of the tea’s qualities — colour, aroma, flavour, body and Caffeine — very quickly. The result is a dark, strong cup in a short amount of time — which is exactly why CTC is the foundation of traditional Irish Breakfast teas.

Does CTC Tea Have More Caffeine?

The short answer is: not necessarily.

Caffeine levels depend on the tea plant variety, the part of the leaf used, and how long the tea is brewed. 

However, CTC tea often feels stronger because its flavour qualities are extracted faster from the smaller particles. When hot water hits those tightly rolled granules, the release is immediate and intense. So while the total caffeine may be similar to orthodox teas, the initial impact can seem more powerful.

Why Does CTC Taste So Bold?

The bold character of CTC tea comes down to structure. When leaves are crushed and torn, their cell walls break open more fully. This encourages rapid oxidation during production and rapid extraction during brewing.

That’s why CTC tea develops a deep copper colour within minutes and delivers a brisk, punchy taste. Tannins release quickly, creating that satisfying bite many people associate with a “strong” cup.

It isn’t about higher strength in a chemical sense — it’s about speed and intensity of extraction of all the tea’s qualities.

CTC vs Orthodox Teas

While orthodox teas preserve more of the leaf’s natural structure and highlight subtle aromas, Irish tea is traditionally CTC, designed for strength, consistency, and body. This is why a classic Irish breakfast cup delivers a bold, malty character that stands up to milk and sugar — a hallmark of the Irish tea experience.

You can read more about why CTC is the secret behind strong Irish tea blends and why it has become the preferred method for breakfast teas worldwide.

So, Is CTC Tea Stronger?

If “stronger” means darker colour, faster brewing, and a bolder character, then yes, absolutely. If it means dramatically higher caffeine levels, the difference is usually minimal.

CTC tea isn’t stronger because it contains more caffeine. It’s stronger because all of its qualities are extracted quickly and completely — reliable, robust, and ready in minutes.

McEntee's Tea: The Heart of Social Life in Nursing Homes & Day Care Centres
In nursing homes, tea is more than a drink — it’s comfort, connection and community. As the most served beverage in care homes, quality matters. Learn why more homes are moving to McEntee’s Tea for a smooth, traditional Irish cup that residents love.

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