Books are back! And we added a couple of new titles to the mix.

A couple of old favorites with the new Year in Japan postcard set (amazing).

Yes, Thermos bottles are back in stock. We have both 16 and 26 oz. versions. Get ready for fall, or you can ice your tea and keep it with you all day.

Mmmm…licorice spice herbal blend is delicious.

Hello! Just wanted to show you a few of the new arrivals at the shop. We have been receiving lots of new teas, teaware, and essentials in anticipation of the web launch and the upcoming fall season. We are excited for the upcoming seasonal changes, and we will continue to feature new items as they arrive. Also, be sure to look for us on Facebook for daily posts, current happenings, etc.

We hope you are all well. We will go back to regular hours beginning next week, September 9th. Until then, you can catch us at the shop Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 5.

Thanks very much for checking in!

- James

We will be putting our 5:00 Fridays on hold for the next two weeks, resuming on Friday, September 10th.

Thank you!
Christina

We recently received a bunch of new items from the ever-popular BeeHouse and Forlife lines. We proudly carry these wares as they are well-crafted, beautifully designed, and exceptionally usable for preparing most any tea. New colors, new sizes…they’re all worth checking out.

We also just received more copies of Liquid Jade as we had sold out a while back. I have mentioned this book more than once here. I think it is one of the finest books on tea, and perhaps the most beautifully written. If you read one book on the history and culture of tea through the ages, this may be the one you want to check out.

Lots of web work, and we are in the final stages! We can see the light, and it will go live very soon (honestly).

We hope you are all well. Thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Assam Breakfast

Cream of Assam (Satrupa Estate)

Masala Chai

Just wanted to let you know these teas are back in stock. We have some very dedicated Indian tea lovers, so the Assams and Masala Chai will be creating a few smiles this week. The Irish Breakfast is our most robust black tea, really made for milk, and excellent for those who like their tea to bring the strength. Lots of former coffee drinkers have taken to this tea and become full converts. If you’re looking to switch, or just broaden your possibilities, this is one to check out.

Working diligently on the website, finalizing things, getting the details ironed out, and we have the languishing blog to prove it! We apologize for the delay in new posts, but stay tuned for Halcyon Tea 2.0, complete with consistent (but not annoyingly so) e-newsletters, and other new developments. We are very excited about all that lies ahead. Thanks so much for joining us and being a part of this journey! We really appreciate it. More soon…

As always, thanks for checking in.

- James

Yes, I am putting it out there. We are now in the very last stages of finalizing our website! Yes, it has taken forever, but we have been really focused on our storefront since opening. Building relationships with our customers has been a pleasure beyond all expectations. As a very community-oriented business, we have taken great pride in creating a space for people to come and further their appreciation of this noble, historic beverage. Now it is time to expand that community by sharing tea with our fellow tea lovers throughout the country. Even this little blog has reached people from many different states who contact us to say they enjoy reading our posts. Some of them have begun to follow us on our Facebook page, and others have actually come to visit us during their trips to California. We love that!

So, I’m putting it out there for all to see. We are launching the website very soon! Stay tuned for the announcement of the official launch date. And for those who have been waiting for more Halcyon Tea e-newsletters, you can be assured that these will be happening more regularly as well. We are very excited for this next chapter, and we thank you very much for all of your interest and support.

Beautiful day here in San Diego. Sunny with a nice breeze, perfect for a cup of Chinese green tea. Thanks so much for checking in.

- James

We are so happy for our good friend David Skelley, owner of San Diego’s Boomerang for Modern. Located in North Little Italy’s design district, Boomerang has been San Diego’s premier shop for mid-century furnishings and accessories for 25 years! Impeccably curated, the shop features three floors of iconic modern works from designers like Eames, Saarinen, Bertoia, Nelson…the list goes on. We have spent a lot of time at Boomerang over the past 10 years. We have purchased many timeless items that are not only beautifully designed, they are also built to last from quality materials. These are pieces our daughter will have someday!

If you love mid-century design, Boomerang is a must-see. We are fortunate to have David and his shop in our fine city. Yet another example of an independent business dedicated to top-notch quality and excellent service. Three cheers for Boomerang on an incredible 25 years! That is inspiring.

If you’re interested in the history of this beloved shop, David has actually created a 25th Anniversary book about the history of Boomerang. How cool is that? It will be available July 26th. Now for that 60s Daybed Sofa I’ve been checking out…

We hope you all are doing well, and thanks so much for checking in!

- James

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

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.

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

frame grabs from the CCTV feature, Tea Culture Wuyi Mountain

I have been really enjoying this feature on the tea culture of Wuyi Mountain. It is definitely worth checking out for those interested in Chinese tea, specifically the rock oolongs of Wuyi Mountain. These are some of our favorite teas, and our Jin Fo Wuyi Reserve is a wonderful example of this region’s essence. After watching this segment, it was impossible to resist prepping my gaiwan for a bit of this tea. It makes me want to sit down and drink Wuyi oolong all afternoon!

We hope you’re enjoying your Friday so far. This week’s 5:00 Friday is just about to start, and Christina will be tonight’s host. I will host next week’s session.

Thanks so much for checking in!

- James

I love stuff like this. This is a fun little promotional short created by the Empire Tea Bureau in 1941. Of course, these tea tips are for British-style preparation, but the basic principles presented are definitely applicable across the tea spectrum. Plus, it’s just a fun bit of nostalgia and makes me want a cup of tea. With the colder weather (for July) we’ve had, a hot cup of English-style tea sounds really good right now!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. We have some great summer events being planned, so stay tuned! Teaware has been flying off the shelves, so expect to see some new wares coming soon. As a reminder, if you’re interested, please do follow us on Facebook as we update daily. You’ll find us here.

Thanks so much for checking in!

- James