August 22, 2020
Fresh Brewed Coffee

Coffee Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup

Enjoying a perfectly brewing the perfect cup of coffee at home is easy and affordable. So don’t worry about getting dressed and jumping in the car for a cup, we’ve got you covered with easy tips for brewing the perfect cup of your favorite brew. Simple Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup Avoid Reheating Coffee in the Microwave We all like to drink our coffee hot, but this is one tip you can easily understand. There are a couple reasons reheating your coffee in the microwave is not recommended. Microwaves do not evenly heat items. It is best to drink your coffee as soon as it’s ready. The longer you let coffee sit out, the more bitter it becomes. And re-heating coffee also results in a bitter taste. […]
July 24, 2020

National Tequila Day – Enjoy a TEA-quila Sunrise!

TEA-quila Sunrise Cocktail  Whether you’re enjoying a nice dinner or relaxing poolside, a Tequila Sunrise is perfect for any occasion. The first version of the Tequila Sunrise originated in Arizona and is a perfect representation of the vibrant Southwestern skies. In honor of National Tequila Day, we’ve made a TEA-quila blend based on this classic tequila cocktail complemented by S&V herbal “tea.” This beverage not only turned out aesthetically pleasing, but also a delicious tropical treat! A classic tequila sunrise includes: Grenadine, Orange Juice, and Tequila  Our “tea” twist was to substitute the grenadine for our Simpson & Vail Orange Cranberry Herbal Tisane and a bit of hibiscus to create a Simple Syrup.  Simple Syrup Ingredients:   1/2 cup water   1/2 cup sugar   2 tbsp (t-sacs) of […]
July 20, 2020
Bubble Tea - Boba - Tapioca Pkg

Bubble Tea – The New Tea Drink Sensation

Over the past few years boba tea, also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea, has rocketed into the global marketplace.  Its popularity even garnered the attention of a large corporate doughnut chain who is proposing to add, and is testing, it as a new menu item here in the USA. So … What is Bubble Tea? Bubble Tea is named for the “boba” or tapioca pearls that gather after shaken in the bottom of a cold tea or juice drink.  It can be a little confusing since “boba” can refer to the actual tapioca (cassava starch) pearls as well as the entire drink made with these balls. A basic cold drink recipe consists of black tea, milk, ice and tapioca pearls (aka boba).  It is shaken, as if making a […]
July 14, 2020
Tea Sangria Recipe White Tea Raspberry Peach Sangria

Our Favorite Tea Sangria Recipes

Sangria is a wonderful treat to cool off with on a hot summer day so we wanted to share some of our favorite tea sangria recipes.  We hope you enjoy these while relaxing this summer. Fruity White Tea Sangria Serves 6 1 bottle white wine (Sauvignon Blanc works well) 4 cups sweet tea (using S&V White Ambrosia tea, sweetened to taste) 1/4 cup triple sec 2 cups each frozen or fresh raspberries and frozen sliced peaches A bit of fresh mint for garnish Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate 1 hour or until properly chilled.   Very  Berry Tea Sangria 2 quarts Sweetened iced tea chilled (using our S&V Iced Tea Blend) 1 (750 mL) bottle sweet red wine chilled we like a red moscato or […]
June 8, 2020

Great Southern Sweet Tea Slush

If you are looking for the prefect summer party starter give this refreshing recipe a try!  A delicious “secret” from the south is the Great Southern Sweet Tea Slush which we are sharing with you today. Sweet tea can be traced back to the 1800’s in the US and is firmly rooted in the South. In fact, every good Southerner has their “perfect” sweet tea recipe.  Recipes vary from ones where you think you are drinking more sugar than tea, to others that incorporate wonderfully tasty fruits like peaches and strawberries. You can try this super easy process with other drinks as well. GREAT SOUTHERN SWEET TEA SLUSH Yields: 4 servings Ingredients: 6 cups sweet tea (homemade with one of Simpson and Vail’s fantastic Iced Teas, sweetened to […]
April 15, 2020
National Parks Tea Gift Box

National Parks Tea Collection

Honoring our beautiful National Parks There are over 419 national parks across the US and this number grows every year. The massive protection project covers over 84 million acres and is kept by the National Park Service, multiple non-profits, volunteers, etc. One could say we all have an influence on our nation’s National Parks. My journey with the National Parks began in Sept. 2017 during a spontaneous trip to Colorado. With a pair of hiking boots I bought two days prior, I decided to take on the Rockies. Beyond this, I travelled to the Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah, the Grand Canyon, Acadia, and many other National Parks not (yet) featured in this tea line. Over the years I found a lot of comparisons between the National Parks and […]
March 31, 2020

Tea and Books for International Children’s Book Day

Hooray!  April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day!  And today (like most days actually) we can incorporate two of our favorite things: books and tea! Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. With so many of us indoors these days, we find ourselves drinking more tea and reading a lot more books.  So if you’re looking to introduce your kiddos to the tea world, here are some fun books to add to your library.   Cloud Tea Monkeys Tashi lives in a tiny village at the foot of the mountains, below the tea plantations where her mother works. When her mother falls ill, Tashi goes […]
December 2, 2019

Roasted Chestnut Snowball Cookies & Holiday Tea Treats

    Here’s a tasty recipe that will delight you and your guests this holiday season.  We can’t believe how tasty these cookies are!  Traditionally Snowball cookies are made with ground nuts, however, we added our new Roasted Chestnut herbal tisane to the butter in this recipe to create an incredible taste sensation! Try the recipe below or there are a few variations to try with this recipe.  You can add nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans…) either toasted or un-toasted and ground (1/2 – 1 cup) or add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.  These cookies are rolled in powdered sugar.  We did roll them in powdered sugar, however, we also discovered that these cookies are scrumptious rolled in either a mixture of confectioner’s sugar & cinnamon or a mix […]
October 16, 2019

Recipes for Fall

Did you know that October is National Pumpkin Month? To celebrate we found some tasty Recipes for Fall you can enjoy with a cup of S&V tea! Scones/Sweets Pumpkin Snickerdoodle SconesPumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze Country Living’s 21 Pumpkin Scones You Need to Make This Fall Pumpkin Flan with Maple Caramel Pumpkin Coffee Cake Soups/SavoriesPumpkin Carrot Soup Pumpkin Leek TartsCarrot Parsnip Soup with our Gunpowder Green Tea Canapes with our Blue Moon Tea Other Fall Favorite Flavors! Chestnut Mascarpone Mousse Maple Apple Blondies Homemade Apple Bread Apple Cider Cupcakes and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars Maple Oatmeal Cookies                                  Pork & Mushroom Puff Pastry Swirls Sweet Potato Crostini w/ Cheese, Pear & Thyme          Salad, Crostini…. with our Jing Shuan Oolong Tea                             Harvest Season Tea Party with our Tippy Yunnan Black Tea Pumpkin Teas […]
August 22, 2019

Carbonated Teas – Creating Your Own Tea Sodas and Cocktails

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 […]