Citable formats
For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to Teas.co.uk.
The commonest mistake with peppermint is brewing it like black tea: three minutes, no lid, bag out. Mint has no tannin to punish a long steep, so a short one simply leaves much of the flavour behind in the bag.
A single herb, so the dose does the work
Twinings Peppermint is one botanical: 160g of dried peppermint leaf spread over 80 bags, or 2g each, one bag to a mug. With no blend to balance there is very little recipe to talk about, and the things that matter are the dose, the time and the lid. The cup is light in body, with a clean, sharp mint lead and a natural sweetness that makes sugar unnecessary.
The cooling effect is the unusual part. Menthol registers as cold on the tongue even though the drink in the mug is hot, a sensation rather than a flavour as such, and that is why mint leaves the palate so clean after a rich or spicy meal. Bitterness stays low, though left for a very long time the mint can turn a little green and hard.
Five minutes, with a saucer on top
Menthol is volatile. When a mug of mint scents the whole kitchen, that aroma is flavour escaping from the cup, so put a saucer or lid over the mug for the whole steep and let the steam condense and drip back into the drink. Covering matters more here than with any black tea, and it is the easiest way to get more out of every bag.
Then give it five minutes. With no tannin in mint, a longer steep costs you almost nothing, while three minutes leaves a good share of the menthol in the bag. Skip the milk, which most people find unpleasant with mint, and try it without sugar first; a well-brewed cup is sweet enough on its own.
When a mug of mint earns its place
Peppermint has two natural moments. The first is after a heavy meal, when its cooling edge clears the palate. The second is late in the evening, when a hot drink appeals and caffeine does not. Against lemon and ginger it sits at the opposite pole: that one is warming and sharp, this one cooling and clean.
Eighty bags suits a household where mint is a daily habit: one bag a mug, so 80 mugs from the box. Chocolate is the classic companion, dark or milk, because the menthol cuts straight through its richness. Spent bags can go on the compost heap only if the carton says the bag material allows it.
The packs we stock
- Twinings Peppermint 80, 160g (barcode 070177233556)
What to eat with it
- Nairn's Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit, 200g: Dark chocolate chips in an oat biscuit give the menthol something rich to cut through.
- Fox's Chocolatey Biscuits Half Coated Milk Chocolate Cookies, 157g: Half-coated milk chocolate cookies are the gentler way into mint and chocolate after dinner.
- Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: Dark chocolate with ginger adds warmth underneath a cooling cup.
Elsewhere in the Twinings range
- Twinings Assam, 80 Tea Bags 200g
- Twinings Assam Loose Tea, 125g
- Twinings Black Tea Discovery Collection, 20 Tea Bags 40g
- Twinings Darjeeling, 40 Tea Bags 100g
- Twinings Decaffeinated Everyday, 80 Tea Bags 250g
- Twinings Earl Grey Discovery Collection, 20 Tea Bags 40g
The full range is on the Twinings brand page.
FAQ
How long should peppermint tea steep? Five minutes with the mug covered. There is no tannin to turn harsh, so the extra minutes bring out flavour rather than bitterness.
Why cover peppermint tea while it brews? Menthol escapes with the steam. A saucer traps it and lets it fall back into the cup.
Is Twinings Peppermint caffeine free? Yes. It is a peppermint infusion rather than a tea, so there is no caffeine.
Why does peppermint feel cold when the tea is hot? Menthol reads as cool on the tongue whatever the drink's temperature, which is the effect that makes mint so refreshing.
Should I add milk or sugar? Neither, as a rule. Milk rarely suits mint, and a properly brewed cup has its own sweetness.
Curator's note: After a curry this is the mug we reach for, with a chocolate oat biscuit alongside and a saucer over the top while it brews. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: Twinings Peppermint: Getting the Most From a Mint Bag
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Twinings |
| Packs we stock | 160g |
| Category | Fruit & Herbal Tea |
| Caffeine | caffeine free |
| Steep | Five minutes under a saucer |
| Caffeine | None |
| Best with | Dark chocolate after dinner |
More from the tea wiki
- Twinings: Tea Range and Buying Guide
- How to Make Tea Properly: The Eight Step Method
- Caffeine in Tea
- Tea Pairing Principles: Reason, Don't Memorise
- Peppermint Tea
- Herbal Tea
- Fruit Tea
Citable formats
For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to Teas.co.uk.
Got something to add? Logged-in customers can submit additions to the Tea Wiki, admin-approved, your name on the byline, plus reward points.
Sign in to contribute