A Loose Leaf Tea for the End of the Day: Old Drum's Lullaby

There's a statue outside the Johnson County Courthouse here in Warrensburg that some people walk past without a second thought. Old Drum. A foxhound frozen in bronze, chin up, ears soft, looking like he's waiting on somebody to come home. If you live here you probably know the story. If you don't here's the short version: in 1870, a man named Leonidas Hornsby shot his neighbor's dog. That neighbor, Charles Burden, sued him. And the lawyer who stood up in that courtroom to argue the case gave an impressive speech, the one that gave us the phrase "man's best friend."

Old Drum never made it home that night. But his name has lived here ever since.

When I was thinking about what to call our evening blend, his name just kept coming back to me. There's something about the end of the day, about finally sitting down and letting your shoulders drop, that feels like it belongs to him somehow. A good dog right by your side while you sit on the deck. The world getting a little quieter with just the sound of crickets in the background. 

That's what Old Drum's Lullaby is supposed to feel like in a cup

And that's exactly what prompted me to write this blog tonight. I am sitting in my hammock, my dog Gadot by my side, listening to the crickets (and her occasional barking). And it's the perfect time to enjoy a cup of this tea.

What's Actually In It

This is a blend I put together with one thing in mind: helping you wind down without putting a lot of effort into it. Sometimes you just need something warm that does the work for you.

We start with organic chamomile, which most people already know and love. It's gentle, a little floral, and it's been a go-to for restless evenings for a very long time. We pair it with organic peppermint, not because peppermint is a sleepy herb, but because it rounds out the flavor beautifully and settles the stomach after a long day of eating on the run.

The base of the blend is organic decaffeinated sencha green tea. Sencha gives it a little body and a soft, grassy depth that you wouldn't get from an herbal-only blend. Because it's decaffeinated, you get all that flavor without the thing that keeps you staring at the ceiling.

Then we get into the herbs that do a little heavier lifting. Organic skullcap is one I really love. It's not as well known as chamomile, but it has a long history of being used by people who carry their stress in their neck and shoulders, or who can't seem to get their brain to quiet down at night. Organic wood betony is another one that doesn't get nearly enough credit. It's a grounding herb, the kind of thing herbalists have reached for when someone needs to feel more settled in their body and less tangled up in their head.

And then there's organic catnip. Yes, the same plant. No, it does not have the same effect on you that it has on your cat. In humans, catnip is actually a gentle, calming herb with a long history of use for nervousness and digestive upset. It gets overshadowed by its feline reputation, but it absolutely earns its place in a calming mix.

We finish the blend with a touch of organic stevia leaf for natural sweetness. No sugar, nothing artificial. Just a little something to take the edge off so you don't have to reach for the honey if you don't want to. 

How We Make It

Every bag of Old Drum's Lullaby is blended by hand here in Warrensburg. We source our herbs from trusted suppliers who share our commitment to ethical and organic growing practices. What goes into your cup matters to us, and we want you to know exactly what you're drinking and why it's there.

How to Brew It

Steep a rounded teaspoon in hot water, around 200 degrees, for five to seven minutes. Cover your cup while it steeps so the good stuff stays in the cup instead of floating off with the steam. Drink it slow. That's kind of the whole point.

---

About the author section

Winnie is a herbal remedies lover and co-founder behind The Herbal Nook, a handcrafted herb, tea, and spice business rooted right here in Warrensburg, Missouri. She's been passionate about plants and wellness since doing research to help address her chronic illness. Which prompted her to start working toward her formal herbalist certification while running the business she and her husband Jeffrey built from the ground up. When she's not blending teas or sourcing the best organic herbs she can find, you'll find her in a hammock with her dogs Gadot and Kent, or reading everything she can get her hands on about the plants she loves. She started this blog to share what she's learning, what she's making, and why it matters to her. She hopes it matters to you too.

A Note

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications, please check with your healthcare provider before adding new herbs to your routine.