In this guide I'll explain how to obtain both recipe books, give the recipes to all the beverages along with a guide on where to find the herbs in world, as well as a list of where to buy any beverages and a description of beverage effects. This guide contains spoilers for certain quests.

To brew teas, you will need to purchase a kettle from the blacksmith in Nava (from the market in the north side of the city) for 20 glowstones.

There are two recipe books in game: Classic Shadian Teas and Ancient Teas.

Classic Shadian Teas can be bought from the bookseller in Nava in the covered market, the opposite end to the art gallery. It costs 10 Glowstones and contains three recipes (Mountainwort Tea, Lyndowian Brew and Earthroot Tea).

Ancient Teas is a reward for the questline "Tiem's Command". This quest is received by talking to Samiya at Tiem's Obelisk in the Tiffmoor Bluffs. You must accept her request and then warn the leader of the Roots about her sabotage. You'll then be given the book as a thank you. It contains three recipes (Netherleaf Tea, Sesha Tea, Hydrathistle).

Bloomsac Tea
Bubbly!

• 3 White Bloomsacs

Earthroot Tea
It has a rich, woody scent.
[Found in the book Classic Shadian Teas]

• 2 snatches of Roots
  
• 1 Inky Cap

Hydrathistle
An arcane brew blended using a herb that's now illegal to harvest. The effects of Black Thistle are detrimental to drinkers and can have adverse effects.
[Found in the book Ancient Teas]

• 2 Black Thistle
  
• 1 Inky Cap

Lyndowian Brew
Imbued with the quaint, dreamy glimmer of its seaside port-town origin.
[Found in the book Classic Shadian Teas]

• 2 White Bloomsacs
  
• 1 snatch of Roots

Mountainwort Tea
Sometimes called "Walker's Tea", the Mountainwort elevates the heart and spirit, and hikers swear it makes the miles fly by.
[Found in the book Classic Shadian Teas]

• 3 Mountainworts

Netherleaf Tea
A powerful blend, with flavors procured from all over the island.
[Found in the book Ancient Teas]

• 1 Mountainwort
  
• 1 Scragweed
  
• 1 White Bloomsac

Scragweed Tea
It tastes sweet, with notes of spice.

• 3 Scragweeds

Sesha Tea
A traditional Navian blend. It's a dark, velvety brew.
[Found in the book Ancient Teas]

• 2 Heavy Reeds
  
• 1 snatch of Roots

Mystery Blend
A curious blend with unknown effects.
Mix any combination of herbs that aren't the above recipes, and this is what you will make.

Note: I'm not sure if Meadowspice Mead can be brewed.
Blue Dream Tea and Silver Dream Tea cannot be brewed.

Each beverage (with the exception of Mountainwort Tea, the dream teas and water) acts as a filter that follows through to your paintings. This section will give an example of the effects from each drink variety to help you if you are looking for a particular aesthetic.

Mountainwort tea can only be used for fast travel using your map.

Blue Dream Tea and Silver Dream Tea will result in a dream sequence, unrelated to your surroundings.

Water is used as a palate cleanser, to negate any effects of the beverage you have just drank. This includes Mudwillow's Tincture, which is vital to drink water as soon as you are done using it to prevent losing too much inspiration.

This is the default view of Eastshade #nofilter:



I'll include this side by side with each image (on the right-hand side) for a better comparison.

Bloomsac Tea
Adds a rosy pink filter, with slightly less saturation.

Earthroot Tea
Adds a strong rusty orange filter.

Hydrathistle
Adds a lot of brightness and glow, and a brownish filter.

Kai's Hydrathistle
Adds more saturation and contrast.

Lyndowian Brew
Adds a soft focus and yellowish glow.

Meadowspice Mead
Ups the brightness quite a bit, adds a strong yellow glow.

Mudwillow's Tincture
Adds a navy blue filter.


Mystery Brew
The effects of this vary, I have seen some that are dupes for existing tea types, and others that are quite different. I've included a selection here to show off some variations, but there are certainly more than this.


Netherleaf Tea
Extremely saturated, the blue and red channels seem to be switched and the green is upped quite a bit.

Scragweed Tea
Adds a a soft focus and a slightly brownish filter and glow.

Sesha Tea
The blue and red are more saturated while green is faded, higher contrast.

Whilst only brewing a tea counts towards the steam achievement, if you are looking to get some teas without using up herbs, there are a few places you can buy or get them for free.

K&K Apothecary
Here you can buy Kai's Hydrathistle for 3 Glowstones.

Lyndow
Here you can buy Meadowspice Mead for 6 Glowstones, and Lyndowian Brew for 1 Glowstone.

There's also a fireplace to brew if you have a kettle handy.

Ranya's House
She will kindly offer you either a Meadowspice Mead or a Lyndowian Brew for free upon first meeting.

Toma's Farm
Cili will offer you a choice of Bloomsac Tea or Mountainwort Tea each time you speak with her, for free. This can possibly be exploited.

Here is a rough guide to finding the herbs needed to brew each tea.

Black Thistle

A large shrub with dark maroon thistles.
Found around the Great Shade. Please note that picking these may affect your ability to get one of the Steam achievements (not sure yet) and some creatures may not like you for it!

Bloomsacs

Large white spherical flowers.
Found around Lyndow, in the flowerbeds of the Sinkwood Inn and around the Wester Woodlands.

Heavy Reeds

Thick bulrushes.
Found around water, most notably the Sinkwood Lake (the northwest side has more), and the ponds on the Tiffmoor Bluffs.

Inky Caps

Beige mushrooms.
Found in woodland areas, like the Great Shade, the Blushwood and the Wester Woodlands.

Mountainworts

A large shrub with blue flowers.
Found all over the Tiffmoor Bluffs and Wester Woodlands. You will need a raft to access this area.

Roots

Brown web-like matter.
Found anywhere there are trees, on the ground. This includes around Lyndow, the Great Shade, the Blushwoods, the Tiffmoor Bluffs (I've found they are rarer here), and the Wester Woodlands.

Scragweeds

A tall pinky-red sharp looking shrub.
Found in woodlands and moorlands, around the Great Shade, the Blushwood, the Tiffmoor Bluffs and the Wester Woodlands.