Tea Talk

Here's a shout-out to all the fabulous Dads and Grandfathers in our lives. I was blessed to have a great Dad and a wonderful Grandpa. They both factored majorly in my life, especially when I was younger. So in their honor, I thought it would be fun to talk about the origins of Father's Day. This comes from the History Channel... The campaign to celebrate the nation's fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm as Mother's Day–perhaps because, as one florist explained, "fathers haven't the same sentimental appeal that mothers have." On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church...

Wow, it's June already! How can that be? But I'll take the warmer, sunnier weather with no complaints. As we roll into June, did you know that June is National Iced Tea Month? Not just a day or week but the whole month - I love it! I'm an equal opportunity gal between hot and iced tea. But as the temperature goes up, I find there's nothing like a cold glass of iced tea to refresh me. I tend to go to the fruitier teas in the warmer weather. Peach tea is always a customer favorite. So I carry a...

After last week’s article on cold brewing black, oolong, and Puerh teas, I fielded many questions about whether and how to cold brew herbal teas. At this point, I’d like to clarify — so that we’re all on the same page — that herbal tea is any tea or tisane beverage that does not come from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis. So now, onto my thoughts on cold brewing herbal teas. There are two views on this: yes, you can and no, you shouldn’t. I’m not trying to be funny, but if you smiled and thought, “Yep, that cleared it...

I’m always sampling new teas. Some of the black teas, oolongs, and puerhs have been recommended to brew cold in addition to the traditional hot brew method, so I thought I’d give it a try. If I’ve made you scratch your head and say, “What’s a cold brew, and how is it different than a hot brew?” here’s a quick tutorial. Cold brewing is very simple. You portion out the same amount of tea you would use to brew a hot cup. But instead of the hot water, add the coldest water you can and put it in the refrigerator...

I don't know about you, but my days start early and are jam-packed with family, business, dogs, and activities. I can't imagine getting through the day without my teas. In the morning, I look forward to my first cup of tea. It sets the tone for my whole day. I rotate between a smooth cup of black tea, like Imperial Breakfast, a blend of Darjeeling, Keemun, and Assam. If I feel I need more of a pick-me-up, I'll head toward Breakfast Cuppa or Organic Rise & Shine. Breakfast Cuppa has Ceylon black tea with roasted Mate and hazelnut flavoring. It's...