With the holidays just around the corner, the question on everyone’s mind is, “What can I gift my friends and family with this year?” Fortunately, we have compiled a handy gift guide sure to fit the versatile range of important people in our lives. Hopefully these ideas might also add to the joy of this season with the gift of herbalism as its focal point.

Most of us are familiar with the ubiquitous black, green, and white teas. Their incredible popularity and immense history make the tea brewed from Camellia sinensis the world’s most consumed beverage (after water of course!).

Homebrewing is equal parts science and sorcery. On one hand, it requires having a firm grasp of the chemistry of the process insofar as water, mash, temperature, pH, and other factors have a big impact on your final beer. On the other hand, artful ingredient pairings are just as important, as your choice of malts, yeast strain, and other adjuncts like candi sugar or organic herbs all combine to add an intangible magic to a brew.

With the start of autumn come vibrant red maple leaves, cooler temperatures, and the ubiquitous resurgence of pumpkin pie spice. Our blend of organic and fair-trade ingredients is the perfect way to welcome back the season of sweaters, ciders, pies, and family gatherings.

Tulsi tea, lime, agave—served chilled or over ice, it’s the perfect mood-supportive cup of joy for a swelteringly hot summer day. Aguas frescas are my go-to warm weather drink, and with good reason! They’re incredibly simple and (bonus) very easy to combine with herbal tea for an extra kick of botanical support or flavor. And when the thermometer hits 100, and I can hardly stand to be in the kitchen, throwing fruit, tea, lime, and sweetener into a blender makes for a great, almost-instant snack, not to mention a fabulous natural hydrator.

If you’ve ever endeavored to brew your own kombucha, you know that the SCOBY-covered result of your initial ferment has a rather plain flavor when compared with your favorite professionally made varieties—but it doesn’t have to stay that way! The combinations of herbs, spices, fruits, and juices that can add flavor to your homemade kombucha are almost endless, allowing you to transform your original tangy tea canvas into countless quaffable masterpieces.

Reusable tea infusers help to reduce the need for single use tea bags, and they are also quite versatile. There are many options to choose from, so how do you know which tool is right for you? The answer will depend on your preferences and project, so the key is to understand the strengths of each type of tea infuser.

Spring is here, and we can feel the summer sun hot on its heels! What better way to toast the arrival of these warmer months than with cool and delicious iced teas? (June is the month for National Iced Tea Day, after all!) I like to keep a pitcher or two in my refrigerator, both for flavor variety and so that I opt for caffeine or caffeine-free, depending on my needs. 

The older I get, the more I realize that what my Dad really wants for Father’s Day is for me to show my love in ways that prove how much I know him as an individual and how much I want him to be happy and whole. The gifts that he most appreciates are also usually homemade, practical, and showcase the skills and knowledge I have acquired through the years.

Lavender is one of my favorite herbs for a busy, worry-prone brain. This fragrant member of the mint family helps to calm the mind and make space for a nervous person to sort through their thoughts and set aside unproductive ones—an important first step toward making a lasting mindset change.

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we understand that the modern commercialization of Mother’s Day sometimes makes it easy to forget that this holiday is rooted in age-old celebrations from around the world. One of the most ancient “mother holidays” was a festival held by the Greeks in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. At dawn, people made offerings of cakes, drinks, and flowers in her honor. Other celebrations, like the sixteenth century “Mothering Sunday,” evolved over the centuries to become a day in which grown children visited home and little ones picked flowers for their mothers. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?