One Good Find: Le Palais des Thés Tea

T.S. Eliot's character J. Alfred Prufrock famously measured out his life with coffee spoons. I, on the other hand, measure out mine with teaspoons, marking the passing hours by what brew I’m sipping. In the morning, my drink has to be robust and caffeinated; by mid-afternoon I welcome more unusual flavor combinations; and my nighttime cups have to feel mollifying, familiar, like a mother’s hug at the end of a long day. Le Palais des Thés, a Parisian company founded 27 years ago, has injected much-needed life into the rigid tea ritual, with three boxed sets released in June that are full of blends selected especially for drinking in the morning, at the office, and in the evening. Each collection contains several bags each of six different teas in biodegradable sachets. I’m hooked on "Big Ben," a punchy fusion of Yunnan and Assam teas that gives me a kick of energy as I get ready for work each morning. Another plus: The tea bags’ labels offer advice as to how long to leave them steeping in the water, thereby guaranteeing a perfect cup every time—which, if you’re measuring out your life with them, is pretty important.