April 17, 2024
After months of darkness and cold we are now rewarded with warmer temperatures, sunnier skies, and beautiful blossoming flowers. We’re honoring these fragrant blooms with our new Floral Teas Gift Box. This beautiful box contains four exquisite aromatic blends: Floral Nectar, Black Tea For those lovers of lavender, this tea provides a unique tasting experience. It’s lavender all the way, from the delightful floral bouquet to the tantalizing lavender liquor. The addition of sweet, succulent apricot fruit flavoring to this blend produces a cup that is full bodied with a uniquely sweet, floral taste. Lilac Bouquet, Black Tea Springtime wouldn’t be complete without the intoxicating aroma of lilacs blooming! This tea blend brews to a deep amber cup with a fragrant taste that leaves a delightful flowery aftertaste […]
March 28, 2024
We live in a hectic, fast-paced world, I’m not telling you anything you aren’t already experiencing! More than ever, we’re all seeking to create a space for self-care. One avenue that more people are exploring is the world of herbs, specifically wellness herbal blends. Recently, there has been a significant surge in the popularity of herbal wellness tea blends. Blends for stress relief and blends to aid with cold and flu symptoms haven been of paramount importance recently as well as blends for overall well-being and a variety of specific ailments. I started my journey of herbal exploration in my mid-20’s when I discovered an online class called “The Science & Art of Herbalism” with Rosemary Gladstar. The impact this class had on my life was immense. In the mid-90’s […]
March 28, 2024
Earl Grey teas, traditionally, were blends comprised of varying black teas with Bergamot oil added to them. Today, any tea (green, white, herbal) that is sprayed with Bergamot oil is known as Earl Grey (such as our Emerald Green Earl Grey, Rooibos Earl Grey, etc). Every tea merchant carries an Earl Grey black tea blend, but they are all very different due to the variations in black teas used for the blend and the quality of the bergamot oil. Earl Grey is also used in a wide variety of recipes – check out our delicious Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies! If baking isn’t for you, Earl Grey pairs well with liquor too. Earl Grey Marteani Makes one 6 oz. cocktail Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz. gin 1/2 oz. lemon juice 3/4 […]
March 28, 2024
Strawberry Lemonade Margarita: Ingredients (yields approx. 2 margaritas) – 2-3 Tablespoons Strawberry Lemonade Rooibos 5-8 Fresh Strawberries 1 Cup Lemonade (I used Simply Light) 1 Cup Silver Tequila Sugar & Lemon Slice for Garnish Instructions – Infuse Strawberry Lemonade Rooibos into any Silver Tequila (I used Espolòn Blanco Tequila). Let sit in the fridge for 24-48 hours or until tequila turns a dark pink/red. Strain the leaves using a fine strainer or cheese cloth. You may need to do this twice to remove all the rooibos leaves. Mash 1-2 strawberries into a cocktail shaker. Combine Strawberry Lemonade infused tequila, mashed strawberries, lemonade and ice into a cocktail shaker and shake until blended. I highly recommend using a ‘light’ or low sugar lemonade blend to avoid an overly sweet drink. Rim the margarita […]
March 28, 2024
How to Brew the perfect cup of tea: Some things to keep in mind when brewing your tea: The quality of your water is extremely important! If you have any reason to doubt the purity of your tap water, we suggest that you use spring water. When tea brews the leaves will double in size – so make sure that you are using an infuser or filter that will allow the water to circulate around the leaves. Green, white and oolong teas prefer cooler water temperatures. We have recommended temperatures below. If you do not have a thermometer we recommend that you acquire one to insure that your tea does not become bitter from a hotter temperature. Black Tea Hot tea is best made by warming a teapot […]
March 28, 2024
The following information is a quick overview of the intricate process that creates high quality teas. Tea plantings begin from propagation (cutting or transplanted root branches) and clonal leaf cuttings. The new plants are raised in a nursery and are transplanted when they reach an average height of 6-8 inches, which takes roughly 6 months. These new tea bushes remain untouched for 2 years and obtain a height of 5-6 feet. At that time they are sheared down to a foot and pruned weekly to keep them at waist height (perfect for picking). These new bushes will not produce a commercial yield for 3-5 years depending on the growing conditions. Once the bushes have reached maturity tea processing begins. The process of creating teas depends exclusively on the […]