August 22, 2019
Looking for a great drink to enjoy on these last long, hot days of Summer? Enter Carbonated Teas or better know as Sparkling Tea Sodas. I recently purchased a Soda Stream and, while I thought it might be a silly gadget purchase, I love it! I drink a lot of seltzer, and usually buy flavored seltzer, but with the Soda Stream I’m enjoying adding the unflavored seltzer to a variety of Simpson & Vail teas. A basic tea soda recipe is 1/2 tea to 1/2 seltzer and then sweetened as necessary. To get you started on your own tea soda journey, here are a few recipes I found online: Non-Alcoholic Tea Beverages: This Bubbly Iced Tea recipe from Cooking light is a basic recipe. Use 6 teaspoons of […]
March 1, 2019
Did you decide at the last minute that you’d like to host a Spring Tea Party? No problem. We’ve got you covered. One of the most important things to remember when hosting an afternoon tea party is that the foods need to be fresh. So how can you make a tea party easy and quick to prepare so you can enjoy the party with your friends? Here are a few tips to cut down on the workload on the day of your party. Plan ahead. Planning your theme, design and menu ahead of time helps in many ways to make your tea event less stressful. Once you decide on a theme, make your shopping list for any additional decorations you may need. Then make a list of all […]
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 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 glass of our Traditional Iced tea […]
August 24, 2016
It’s summer again and as the hot beverage business slows, we have time to revisit some old ideas for new tea blends and see where we can take them. Our Literary Tea Line has been hugely successful so far and we’re pleased to introduce you to its newest additions. We’ve been playing with a few ideas and we finally settled on the pair of authors for whom we’ve gotten the most requests. One of our new blends was created with the works of Louisa May Alcott in mind while the other was designed to evoke the stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Born on November 29, 1832 to Transcendentalist parents, Louisa May Alcott grew up poor among some of the most famous intellectuals of the 19th century. She and her […]