The hour after dinner is underserved. Coffee is a mistake you pay for at 2 a.m.; dessert is a commitment. Tea is the third option, and it happens to be the best one. Five answers, in ascending order of ceremony.
I. Chamomile, plain. The default for a reason. Whole blossoms, five minutes, nothing added. It asks nothing of you.
II. Lavender, before bed. When the day will not quite let go. True lavender, dosed with discipline, is calm in a cup rather than a linen drawer.
III. Rose and verbena, for company. Aromatic enough to feel like an occasion, weightless enough to pour twice. This is the one guests remember.
IV. Ginger, after excess. The big dinner, the second helping, the third glass. Ginger’s warmth settles the ledger.
V. Hibiscus, iced, in summer. When the evening is warm and the porch is available, a bright, tart glass of hibiscus over ice ends the day better than anything with a cork.
The common thread: all caffeine-free, all better made loose, all improved by sitting somewhere worth sitting.