Before sports drinks were invented, athletes would sip hot tea from squeeze bottles and the act of pouring a full barrel onto a coach was something a team only did to its enemies. Sip for victory with today's Groupon: for $7, you get $15 worth of loose-leaf tea, drinks, and teaware at Teaopia with five British Columbia locations in Victoria, Burnaby, Kelowna, and Richmond. Act quickly; this Groupon expires three months from today.

Teaopia dispenses more than 100 varieties of loose-leaf teas, spanning a catalogue of black, green, white, oolong, yerba mate, rooibos, and blended teas, plus hard-to-find harvests. Selections range from the flavourful Amazing Vanilla ($5.50/50g) to the Caramelissimo ($6.50/50g), a blend of ceylon black tea, caramel pieces, hard biscuit pieces, and cream caramel flavour, to the Pomegranate Green ($7/50g), a green tea distinguished by its sencha, cranberries, pomegranate flowers, and off-beat sense of humor. While deliberating brew munitions, customers can sip one of Teaopia's concoctions, such as a tangerine dream iced tea ($2.75), classic Chai latte ($4.50), or raspberry matcha fruit smoothie ($5.50). Home brewing gets simple with Teaopia's helpful and attractive accessories, including the 16-ounce tea master ($20), a BPA-free infuser for loose-leaf teas that keeps pours warm and nests a stainless steel filter that strains out bad karma.