March 13, 2018
Great news from the tea sippers at Simpson & Vail. We’re thrilled to offer you 16 new teas from around the world! We had a very enjoyable time sipping samples of various teas before settling on the selection below. Colombia: Read our blog post here about seven new Colombian teas: black, green and blended. China: Cangyuan Yunnan Organic Black Tea This exquisite organic tea is grown in Cangyuan county, a remote location in western Yunnan. It is comprised of long black and tippy leaves interspersed with ample golden buds. It brews to an amber colored cup with the slight aroma of pipe tobacco and a smooth, creamy, slightly sweet full-bodied taste. Da Hong Pao Organic Oolong Tea This exquisite Oolong tea comes from the Song Meng Garden […]
March 7, 2018
Freshly picked and blended in Colombia In October 2017 we were pleased to have Santiago and Andres from Bitaco Tea visit us in Brookfield. Besides putting a face to the voice on the phone, it was fantastic to hear more about their history and operations. Bitaco Tea is an offshoot of a very well known branded teabag tea Te Hindu. After many years, and much success, in the teabag market they decided to cultivate a new market with orthodox teas. Knowing much about teabag production but not enough about orthodox processing and organic growing methods, they set out to hire some of the best in the tea world to consult with them on their new venture. The results have been outstanding and every tea shipment we get from […]
November 19, 2017
The holiday season is rapidly approaching and our little elves have been busy creating lovely a holiday gift for all the tea loving friends and family members on your list! After customer requests for tea only gifts, we introduced last year a few lovely selections. This year we have improved these selections with the addition of our colorful gift labels. The holiday season should be a time to enjoy ice skating, choral festivals, caroling, decorating the tree, visiting friends, baking, etc., however, it often descends into madness while you race from place to place searching for the “perfect” gifts for loved ones. We hope these gifts will make your holiday shopping easier so you can enjoy the spirit of the season! Black Tea […]
November 8, 2017
We introduced you to Refrigerator Shortbread Holiday Cookies in our previous blog post, now here’s another great recipe that you can make ahead of time and bake as needed. It’s perfect for the busy holiday season and so unique and delectable your family and friends will truly be delighted! Matcha & Hibiscus Swirl Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp Kosher salt 1 pkg. Vanilla Matcha powder 1 ½ Tbsp Hibiscus, ground Directions: Cream together the butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Next add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Split the dough in half and put in separate bowls. […]
October 30, 2017
The holiday season is rapidly approaching and, while this can be a frantic time, it’s a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones baking holiday cookies. This year we’d like to spend more time enjoying the company of our family and friends and less time in the kitchen preparing for these festivities. With that in mind we are passing on this delicious shortbread recipe. You can make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer for a quick delicious treat anytime your guests arrive. This recipe is also perfect for cookie swaps or gifts. The best part….you can make one batch of these cookies and by adding variations to the dough you’ll have a lovely assortment of cookies. Delicious Refrigerator Shortbread 1 cup (2 […]
May 24, 2017
It’s National Iced Tea Month! We’ve just launched a new line of five different iced teabags. These new iced teabags make it easy to brew up a batch of iced teas and, with one bag making a gallon of iced tea, it’s easy to make a few other drinks besides traditional iced tea. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Traditional Black Tea: This brisk black tea blend is made from orange pekoe and broken orange pekoe leaves that don’t cloud when brewed cold, making it the perfect iced tea choice for you and your guests. With or without sweeteners, this traditional black tea is bright and refreshing. Try these recipes using the traditional teabags: Lemonade Iced Tea Mix 1/2 […]
February 8, 2017
I love banana bread. I don’t make it often, but I love it. Due to the infrequency of baking this treat I think I forget how yummy it is. That is until it comes out of the oven, onto my plate and into my mouth! I was so happy when I realized today that we had a couple of bananas that were a little past their prime. I decided to make this baking event into a blog post so I could have an excuse when my calorie conscious partner came home from work. He was not surprised when he was bowled over by the smell of fresh baked banana bread as he walked through the front door. His only comment “I thought you’d be baking. You seemed […]
January 7, 2017
It’s National Hot Tea Month and I don’t think we can have a discussion about tea without highlighting the hottest tea trend right now Matcha green tea. Matcha is a powdered green tea grown in Japan and used in the famous Japanese tea ceremony. It is also made in small quantities in other countries such as China and Vietnam, although tea producers in these countries use a different leaf than in Japan. Today this lovely tea is consumed in a variety of ways. It is prepared in the traditional manner, made into lattes and other beverages and is added to smoothies, cakes, cookies and more as an ingredient in baking. Production Matcha is grown in the same way as Gyokuro tea. When new shoots on the tea bush […]
October 25, 2016
Autumn is here in all its glory and, personally, I couldn’t be happier! I find that the beginning of every season prompts me to declare that this is my favorite season. And this is Autumn is no different. We’re fortunate to live in the Northeast where the seasons are so clearly defined. As Summer is slowly fading away, I have very fond memories of the fun times and special adventures, but now it’s time to embrace the spectacular Fall foliage and the cooler temperatures while we prepare for, hopefully, a snowy Winter. I’ve been enjoying these warm Fall afternoons, sipping a cup of tea in the sunshine while I look at the distant trees and enjoy the colorful baskets of mums beside me. I hope you have […]
October 11, 2016
Halloween is right around the corner. Are you ready? Here are some fantastic ideas that will make your Halloween tea party celebrations more festive. This dip platter is easy & decorative. And to make the pumpkin theme complete, serve your guests our Pumpkin Spice Tea Cocktail! Who doesn’t love cheese and crackers? This creative idea to make Halloween themed cheese slices is brilliant and will delight your guests. Enjoy it with our Cozy Comfort Tea Cocktail (right) or, for a non-alcoholic choice, pair with our new Spiced Mulled Wine tea. These black cat sandwiches and witches brew soup pair beautifully with our Edgar Allan Poe tea! The brew is earthy with a hint of […]