Jul

18

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We had a blast at the Summer Walkabout last night. It was a packed evening! Our iced tea selections were a huge hit, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the music of Trio Gadjo and Choro Sotaque. A very cool feature of this Walkabout was the Urban Safari walking tour that took people on a trip around the neighborhood to enjoy the numerous vendors, musicians, art shows, food, beverages, and good times. The weather was absolutely perfect, which led throngs of people into the streets to enjoy the evening. We met lots of wonderful new people, and we are already looking forward to the Fall Walkabout.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported all of the amazing local businesses in South Park. This neighborhood has gotten a lot of attention lately, and it is no surprise. South Park is clearly becoming a hotbed of independent businesses dedicated to quality, service, and community. We are proud to be a part of this!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jul

16

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Yes, it’s that time of year! We are really looking forward to the South Park Walkabout. It’s happening tomorrow, Saturday, July 17th from 6 to 10 pm.  This one is shaping up to be an excellent event with two bands, a vintage goods pop-up shop led by our good friend Gabe Salcedo (GS Cicleria and The Vintage Scout), lots of free iced tea, snacks, and great people. Next door, at MCM Gallery, be sure to check out the opening of a new exhibition featuring the works of local artist Lindy Ivey.

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We’ll be sure to have plenty of our much-loved iced hibiscus tea on tap, along with a couple of others. We hope to see you there!

New teaware in stock, and we have re-upped on some spring teas that sold out rather quickly. Also, 5:00 Friday is happening tonight! I’ll be at the helm pouring some cooling white and green teas for the evening. Stop by for a taste!

We are enjoying some beautiful weather here at the shop. We hope you’re having a great Friday. As always, thanks so much for checking in.

- James

Jun

19

We will be open limited hours on Sunday for any last-minute Father’s Day needs. New teaware in stock, new teas, lots of great gift ideas. Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there! Being a dad is my favorite thing in the world.

Father’s Day Hours
11 am to 2 pm

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Jun

18

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Wow, hard to believe it’s already that time of year again. This is worth coming out for. House tours and seminars, vendors, food, music…it’s a block party! We’ll be open early, starting at 10 am with tea samples at the ready. Stop on by for a cup and a chat before you check out all the great things the Old House Fair has to offer. If you want to learn more about the event, check it out here.

Lots of new teaware, new teas, and it’s Friday. You know what that means, right? Yes, we are looking forward to 5:00 Friday! If you’re local, stop on in for a taste as we continue our weekly tradition of tea and community. We hope to see you.

Enjoy your Friday evening, and thanks so much for checking in. More good stuff coming soon!

- James

May

12

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We are very happy to host a new event this Saturday, May 15th at 7:30 pm. One of our great friends and customers, Blair Whitaker will showcase his knowledge of Sencha-Do, the “relaxed” tea ceremony of Japan. His presentation will emphasize a practice of Sencha-Do that people will be able to take home and perform themselves. He will touch on the important aesthetic principles along with an abridged history of tea in Japan. The main Japanese tea varietials will also be discussed with some related information on harvesting and crafting methods. Come learn more about tea, art, poetry, ceramics, and other elements that have evolved from, and with, the way of sencha. You will be surprised how this “relaxed” ceremony has had a long and entangled history with the more familiar and formal practice of chanoyu.

When: Saturday, May 15th 7:30 to 9 pm
Where: Halcyon Tea, 3009 Beech Street, 92102
Cost: $7 includes tea tasting and small snacks

Space is limited to 12 participants, so please call 619.450.4224 to reserve your spot! We can’t wait for this one!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Apr

15

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Lou Donaldson’s Midnight Creeper LP is a favorite.

Yep, this Saturday is National Record Store Day! While many people love the convenience of iTunes and Amazon, there is nothing like actually venturing into your favorite local independent record shop and browsing to your heart’s content. I usually go in with no idea of what I’m looking for, and I always leave with a few gems. A couple of my favorite local stores are M-Theory and Thirsty Moon. Both are beautifully curated, so you don’t have to look very hard to find something great. Each shop also has in-store performances—something you just can’t get online.

I guess I’m just one of those people who will always need tangible proof of his music collection. When I’m at home, I need to pull the album or CD off the shelf and physically start it up. Nothing against digital libraries at all, it’s just that I’ll never be able to give up my records. If you are also so inclined, make sure to get out there and support your local neighborhood shop.

Oh, and the album featured above? Check out the title track here. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Apr

8

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We are very excited to have Z’ev Rosenberg as our guest speaker next week, April 14th.  Z’ev has been a professor and Chair of the Department of Herbal Medicine at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, since 1991. Studying and practicing since 1971, he has been in private practice as an expert in Chinese internal medicine since 1983. He will join us for a talk on Pu-erh Tea and the Art of Nourishing Life while incorporating tea as part of a health regimen and lifestyle. There will be a teaching portion, followed by a Q & A time. Space is limited, so please call 619.450.4224 to reserve a spot for this great event. We hope to see you here!

Where: Halcyon Tea
When: Wednesday, April 14th
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
What: Price: $5
Limit: 15 people

Quick Bio: Z’ev Rosenberg has been studying and practicing Oriental medicine since 1971. He is a graduate of Santa Fe College of Natural Medicine, the Kushi Institute, and Southwest Acupuncture College. Mr. Rosenberg received his Master’s degree in Oriental medicine from Emperor’s College. As well as teaching at Pacific College for the last 10 years, he has served as Chairof the Department of Herbology during that same period. He has been in private practice since 1983 and is a consultant and product developer for K’an Herb Company. He writes for several professional Oriental medical journals, and is working on a book on immunology and Chinese medicine. In 1999, he was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, an organization of scholars and senior practitioner/teachers in the profession.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Mar

26

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FRIDAY: Come to 5:00 Friday today at Halcyon Tea!
We’ll be having our usual fun today starting at 5:00 and going until 7:00. What do you feel like tasting? Last week was packed to the gills and we had a blast. Join us for another round! Oh yeah, we have had a few requests for smoky black teas in the Russian Caravan style (smoky, but not purely Lapsang Souchong). If you’re feeling bold enough tonight, help us as we try out some blends. BONUS: Submit your ideas for what to call the new blend. Winning selection will have their tea name added to the list where it will bask in glory for years to come. But wait! There’s more! The winner will also receive a Forlife Tea for One pot/cup combination. Winning selection will be announced the following week and we will notify you via email. Good stuff!

SATURDAY: South Park Walkabout! Tomorrow,  3/27
Yep, it’s time again, and we are really excited for this year’s Spring Walkabout. It’s always a blast with so many great people cruising around the neighborhood, free trolley service from Beech Street to Juniper, free tea, snacks, music, etc. We are so proud to be a part of the South Park business community. Come out and support your independent neighborhood businesses and have tons of fun doing it. It all starts at 6 pm. We look forward to seeing you!

Lastly, I got a little bit of good-hearted flack from a few different people for not updating the blog over the past week. I’ll be better, I swear! Just been super busy with some good things, so keep an eye out and we’ll be posting much more regularly.

A quick, “Hello!” to our newest friend, Vida from Atlanta. Thanks for coming out and sharing tea with us!

And thank you all for checking in. More soon!

- James

Dec

5

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Join us for tea, snacks and neighborhood cheer tonight for the South Park Holiday Walkabout. The tea will start flowing around 6 pm and will not stop until 10 pm. Our neighboring business friends will also be open with music, samples and specials of their own. We will have lots of great holiday gift ideas ready to go. It promises to be another great time, so we hope to see you here!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Nov

1

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Our next Tea 101 is coming up quickly! It is this Saturday, November 7th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

If you are fairly new to tea or simply want to hone your knowledge of this ever-fascinating pursuit, the Tea 101 class is the place to start. This introductory talk will cover the basic tea classifications and discuss the important factors of history, origin and processing methods. We will also provide an overview of tea preparation guidelines and basic teaware knowledge. We will taste several teas as a means to help illustrate the curriculum while also furthering our appreciation of the world’s most consumed prepared beverage.

Sessions are limited to 10 participants (sorry, this session is full!). The course fee is $12 per person and payment guarantees your reservation for the session. To RSVP please call 619 450 4224 or stop by the store. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

Tea 101 at Halcyon Tea
Saturday, November 7th

7:00–8:30 pm
$12 per person

Thank you all for the continued support!
- James

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