Now, I love the caffeine herbs like black, green, and oolong tea, coffee, yerba mate, and guarana, but in this article I will focus on herbal brews that are mildly stimulating without containing caffeine or related alkaloids.

Rosemary is a kitchen herb that most people don't think of making into tea. But when I worked on an organic farm in the south of France, rosemary tea was our daily eye-opener.

In European tradition, rosemary was a symbol of fidelity and was believed to enhance memory. In Hamlet, Shakespeare has Ophelia say, "There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you love, remember."

Lore also had it that rosemary plants would only flourish where a woman was dominant. There are old accounts of English men tearing up rosemary plants in their gardens for fear of being seen as lacking authority. Practically speaking, though, rosemary has qualities that make it an ideal chilly morning tea for man, woman, or child. Its wonderful aromatics can help clear congested heads. As a mild circulatory stimulant, rosemary tea is also warming.

Brew the tea by simply pouring one cup of boiling water over one tablespoon of the herb; cover and steep for ten minutes, then strain and enjoy. You can also try these combinations:

Lemony Lift

2 parts rosemary
1 part lemon grass

Peaceful Wakefulness

1 part rosemary
1 part lavender
1 part spearmint

Ginger is another warming tea herb. It dilates the arterioles to bring more blood flow to just below the skin. As a moderate stimulant to the immune system and the mucous membranes, it is useful when you feel a head cold coming on.

Many people also find ginger to be mildly stimulating to the brain. One of my favorite ginger tea recipes comes from woman who shares my love for tea, herbalist Rebecca Wittenberg of Kalispell, Montana.

Winter Warming Tea

1 part ginger
1 part cinnamon
1/4 part licorice root

You can mix the powdered forms of these herbs with hot water for tea, but you will get a tastier and less sludgy beverage by using the cut and sifted form. Combine one tablespoon of herb with one cup cold water in a pot, and bring to a simmer for five to ten minutes. Cool to drinking temperature, then strain.

This tea combination is great for those folks who always have cold hands and feet. It's also soothing for gas, intestinal cramping, and nausea. Most of all, it's wonderful with fresh baked ginger snaps.

There is, of course, a whole world of herbs that make delightful teas. These are just a few. So forgo the espresso shack and take some time for a little alchemy in the teapot.

Lori Harger Witt recently inherited her grandmother's teapot and tea cups.