Weve all been there. We have that one friend that we hang out with for an evening: talking, watching a movie, playing board games, etc. And then comes the point in the evening where its time for a nice hot, caffeinated beverage. You, being the tea drinker that you are, request a cup of good ole camellia sinensis only to discover your friend reaching into the cupboard and pulling out... a box of generic tea. If only you could get your unsuspecting friend to enjoy a pot of tea with you (after all, enjoying an entire pot of tea by yourself isnt quite as fun). Now, how you drop that into conversation with your unsuspecting friend is up to you, but there looms an even bigger question: what kind of tea should I share with my friend to heighten their appreciation of tea? For the friend thats completely new to tea or to the tea novice thats only enjoyed bagged tea from the store, here are ten teas to share with your novice tea friends.

1. Golden Flower
Dark oolongs are great and all, but what about a mild light oolong? Golden Flower is not only a lovely light oolong but, like Fujian Rain, makes a great introductory oolong at a good price. This oolong is closer to a green tea due to its low oxidation level but is a bit bolder than a typical green tea. Great for multiple infusions and producing a sweet floral aroma, Golden Flower is truly a golden tea to introduce to your tea novice friends.

2. English Breakfast
When most people think about tea, they think of black tea. In fact, most grocery stores are packed with black tea, so its no surprise that black tea is the type of tea most people are familiar with. And some of the most recognizable black teas are breakfast teas. While there are different kinds of breakfast teas, varying in strength, English Breakfast is a mild black tea and a great starting point for the tea novice. Bold enough to be a good representative of black tea but mild enough to make it accessible, why not get together with your novice tea friend in the morning for a cup of this classic black tea before you both tackle the day?

3. Golden Monkey
Though perhaps not the easiest black tea to find, Adagio Teas offers a Chinese black tea called Golden Monkey that needs to be talked about more. While black teas like the breakfast teas have a bold flavor, Golden Monkey is a mild black tea with a warm cocoa-like flavor that is sure to delight those who sample it. And who doesnt like cocoa? Offering this treat to your tea novice friends will change the way they think about black tea. Its delightful, its unique, its lifechanging.

4. Earl Grey Bravo
Classic, mild, and with a little something extra, Earl Grey Bravo is a novice-friendly tea sure to delight anyone. A concoction made up of black tea and the citrus fruit bergamot, Earl Grey is a great tea to introduce to tea newcomers. You dont even need to add anything to it: its a great tea to drink on its own. Even get that Sci-fi friend of yours to drink tea by introducing them to Captain Picards beverage of choice.

5. Sleeping Dragon
Forget the boxes labeled Green Tea in the stores. Green tea is so much more expansive than that. Theres a green tea to suit almost any taste, from smokey to grassy to floral, or even from mild to bold. Start your friend off with a cup of Sleeping Dragon. Though similar to Gunpowder, Sleeping Dragon is a milder version of its smokey cousin, making it an accessible option to new green tea drinkers. And if they like that, today: Sleeping Dragon; tomorrow: Gunpowder Tea.

6. Kukicha
Maybe your novice tea friend is an adventurous type: every green tea theyve tried has been too similar. They want something different but arent sure what to try, and thats where Kukicha comes in. With its grassy flavors, Japanese green teas can be an acquired taste, but Kukicha is a great place to start. It has the grassy flavors characteristic of Japanese green teas but is still mild and easy to prepare.

7. White Peony
There is a plethora of flavored white teas out there simply because white tea has a mild flavor that takes additional flavors, incorporating white tea benefits with other familiar flavors; however, for those going the traditional tea route, finding a simple white tea can be hard. For a good novice white tea with a price thats right, White Peony is a great tea to introduce to new tea drinkers. Its not the strongest of flavors, but its light, clean flavor is sure to please anyone new to white tea.

8. Hojicha
Have fun serving up a cup of the auburn Hojicha to your confused novice tea friend as you insist its a green tea. Though it produces a brown beverage, suggesting a black tea, Hojicha is indeed a green tea with no oxidation, deriving its color from the roasting process, which produces a warm, toasty flavor. Hojicha is an especially great choice for those looking to limit their caffeine intake, making it a great tea to enjoy even later in the evening.

9. Formosa Oolong
Although not as widely discussed as black or green tea, there are certainly some great introductory oolongs out there that wont break the bank. Oolongs can come in light and dark forms depending on how much oxidation the leaves undergo, and Formosa Oolong is a dark oolong with a smooth flavor not unlike the earthiness of a bold black tea but with a little astringency. For someone looking to expand their palate beyond black teas, Formosa Oolong is a great stepping stone into the world of Oolongs.

10. Fujian Rain
For something a little lighter than Formosa Oolong, Fujian Rain is a lovely mid-level oolong similar to a mild black tea that you can introduce to your novice tea friends. With a toasty flavor that improves the more times you brew it, Fujian Rain is great for a long sit-down of catching up with old friends, pouring over old memories while pouring cups of tea.