Tea was discovered in ancient China when a leaf blew in the window and landed in the emperor's bath, which he was slurping through a straw. Sip leaves steeped more decorously with today's Groupon: for $7, you get $15 worth of tea and tea accessories at Cha Cha Tea, located on Bath Road.

Cha Cha Tea’s cheerful, meticulously organized confines make a pleasing backdrop to its potent selection of leaf-based brews. Replace your cup collection’s frayed paper umbrellas with jaunty bags of tea from across the globe, such as the Sencha Superior, a Japanese Green Tea imported directly from Tokyo ($20 for 100 grams), or the Gyokuro Superior ($32 for 100 grams), lauded for its sweet, mild taste. Bold black brews such as the Earl Grey, available in a variety of bergamot-infused flavours ($8.50 for 100 grams), transform trembling frowns into stiff upper lips.

In addition to filling Kingstonians’ cups, Cha Cha Tea also lines their cupboards with accessories like saucers and pots, as well as innovative tea infusers. Considerate tea-pouch pursuers can also search a stock of gourmet gifts to soothe the parched throats of beloved sports mascots.