We all love to sit down with a cup of tea and a good book, and finding the right combination of genre, flavour, and mug can actually help enhance the reading experience. No matter your genre, there’s bound to be a tea and a mug that’s right for you!
Header image features the Gratitude Vintage Mug, available from Zanui.
Romance
Harlequin Cuckoo Cup & Saucer
The Tea
An obvious one first; reading a romance novel calls for a luxurious rose flavoured tea. The delicate pink and red colours perfectly complement the drama of a romance story. Not to mention, the scent and flavour of rose can have a calming effect, which is good when experiencing the emotional roller-coaster that is a romance story.
The Cup
Just like with the flavouring of your tea, a rose motif will work wonderfully with your romance novel. Delicate flower detailing and light colours will perfectly accent the narrative and create an immersive experience.
Philosophy
London Calling Mug
The Tea
While not everyone sits down with a book on philosophy, this applies to any text that makes you think so hard your brain hurts. A calming green tea can be the perfect solution. It helps you focus and can be very soothing.
The Cup
The best thing you can do when you’re reading a difficult book is to keep your cool — but don’t let your tea get cold! A sturdy cup or mug that will stand by you is what you need.
Fantasy
Tea Garden Mug
The Tea
Have you ever noticed that a lot of fantasy characters seem to be British? Or the story is set in a not-quite-England (looking at you, Game of Thrones). It’s a strange occurrence that just won’t go away.
So lean into it.
To commit to the Britishness of fantasy, have a cup of classic English Breakfast or Earl Grey.
The Cup
If you’re reading fantasy, you might be prone to the book thrusting you into a sudden action scene. For this reason a delicate tea cup like that of the romance novels simply won’t do. But that doesn’t mean your mug has to be void of whimsy and fun.
A happy middle ground is a sturdy mug shape, and an airy tea cup handle.
Sci-Fi
Aloha Pineapple Cup and Dispenser
The Tea
Sci-Fi is always pushing the boundaries. What could happen next? Where will science take us?
Our translation of that is ice tea. It might sound boring, but it was a crazy invention the first time we sat down to drink our tea cold.
To go even more futuristic, consider trying some bubble tea. This is cold tea (served with milk or without) with chewy tapioca balls sitting on the bottom. The untraditional look of bubble tea, or ice tea with berries or leaves, creates the perfect sci-fi aura.
The Cup
You won’t need a traditional mug if you’re drinking ice tea, but that doesn’t mean you have to be sipping it from a red plastic cup.
A glass look that lets you see the features of your bubble or ice-tea will work perfectly.
Keep with the sci-fi theme and eschew normal glassware.
Mystery
Foulard Star Mug
The Tea
A big trend in tea is liquorice flavouring and this is great for any mystery fans. It might seem like an odd flavour, but that’s why it can be so perfect for mystery readers.
The flavour itself makes you feel inquisitive and thoughtful, which is exactly how you need to feel if you’re going to solve the mystery first.
The Cup
A mystery is all about seeing what’s beyond the surface. When looking for the perfect mug, approach it the same way.
Try a mug that appears to be plain black and white, but has a subtle pop of colour. Don’t fall for the red herring, but what about another red animal?
Horror
Medina Mug
The Tea
For horror, one of the best pairings you could make would be to grab yourself some ginger.
That’s right, ginger tea is the best tea for horror stories.
Horror gets the blood racing and can make you confront some uncomfortable images. Ginger can help your stomach from getting too upset and can keep you calm so there’s no sweaty palms to hurt your book.
The Cup
If you’re reading horror, you need something to hold on to, something to grip tightly. A standard tea cup just isn’t going to do it here. You need something sturdier.
A warmer cup with textured sides is just right. Drink from a mug that sits snugly in your hand and you’ll be ready to brave a horror story.
Young Adult/Children’s
Carnivale Mug
The Tea
YA and children’s literature can feel like a bit of a treat. They don’t use those heavy and difficult to understand words. It’s emotionally dramatic but mentally refreshing.
This is a delicate balance that few teas can complement, but one that can is chocolate tea. A black tea with chocolate elements, maybe a bit of coconut too, could be just the right thing.
A balance of sweet and caffeinated, it bridges the gap between childhood and adulthood, just like YA. And it’s delicious!
Maybe if you-know-who had a nice cup of chocolate tea he would have left Harry alone.
The Cup
Have some fun with your tea cup too. Don’t settle for anything that doesn’t have a youthful sense of fun and adventure.
A carnival-style mug combines practicality with a sturdy handle and whimsy with bright colouring and fun stripes.
Colouring-in Books
Mindfulness Mugs and Plates
The Tea
Colouring-in books for adults remain very popular, and if you’re the type to enjoy some colour, you should enjoy colourful tea as well.
A blueberry tea can help the mindfulness that colouring-in books provide. A calming and fruity flavour, it’s likely to be enjoyed by anyone. The tea can also brew blue which is perfect when you’re in a colourful mood.
The Cup
Colouring-in doesn’t have to be limited to books. If you’re feeling adventurous and artistic, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try out a colouring-in mug! Create your own style and enjoy some tea while you relax with your next book.
