Dec

31

We hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season so far. Now it’s time to celebrate the New Year with the “Champagne of Teas!” This week we feature our selection of Darjeeling teas, all priced at 10% off. Stop in for a taste and see what real Darjeeling teas are all about. We have three wonderful examples in stock:

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1. Pussimbing Organic 1st Flush, FTGFOP-1
Exceptional 1st flush Darjeeling from a small, premium garden. Available here in a very limited quantity. Carefully harvested from pure China origin bushes in the crisp air and intense sun of the Himalayan spring. Fruit aroma and incredible floral flavor. The finish is mildly sweet with notes of honey and lemon and a brisk mouthfeel. Certified Bio-Organic.

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2. Castleton Muscatel Exclusive 2nd Flush, FTGFOP-1
One of the finest 2008 muscatels available. The leaves have been exceptionally well-sorted and meticulously crafted into this highest grade tea. Rich coppery red in the cup with a pronounced muscatel character and notes of dry fruit. Like a fine wine, this selection is complex with a long-lasting aftertaste.

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3. Risheehat Flowery Clonal 2nd Flush, SFTGFOP-1
Special limited production invoice from this famous garden. The long leaves and young buds brew a bright, reddish brown cup with a clear floral aroma. The flavor is quite fruity and full-bodied with a long-lasting finish. An excellent tea for those who prefer the mellow richness of 2nd flush to the bright assertiveness of 1st flush Darjeelings.

Thanks so much for checking in, and for all of your support during our first month of business. It has been an amazing time with so much more in store. We wish you all a prosperous, healthy New Year!

- James

Dec

23

Holiday Bundles

December 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Just a quick note to let you know about our in-store holiday gift specials. Yes, there is still time for those last minute items! We will be open normal hours, 11 am to 7 pm on Christmas Eve, closed Christmas day, and open again on the 26th.

Combine any of the 4 items below and receive 10% off your purchase:

all teas, teapots, infuser mugs, stationery, Moleskine journals, matcha ware, tea canisters, tea towels, Thermos bottles, Chinese sets (gaiwan, pitcher, thimble cups, utensils), tea trays, cream/sugar pots

Call us at 619.450.4224 or stop in if you have any questions. We hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season. It’s been great here at the shop. Thanks for supporting local businesses! For some of our other favorite local businesses to consider, please check out our list of links on the right side of the page.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Dec

20

We have started to feature teas and teaware specials for each week. Featured items are 10% off! So, here goes our first installment:

1. Featured Tea: Huang Shan Mao Feng
Handcrafted Chinese green tea with a tender unopened leaf bud attached to a single leaf. This tea yields a clear liquor with a naturally sweet, mildly nutty flavor. The subtly smooth mouthfeel finishes crisp and refreshing.

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dry leaf

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leaf after first infusion

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liquor

2. Featured Teaware: 16 oz. Thermos Compact Bottle
This is a gem for tea on-the-go. It keeps beverages hot for up to 12 hours, and iced beverages cold for up to 24 hrs. A perfect gift for bike messengers, office folk, travelers, etc.

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Stay tuned for more shop specials each week. The holidays are going very well here. People are finding us, and we are getting the word out to more tea lovers each day. We thank all of you for your continued support!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Dec

16

A Grand Opening

December 16, 2008 | 4 Comments

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Another fantastic event! We had an amazing turnout for our grand opening party, and we want to thank everyone who attended. We really appreciate your support! It was a little cramped, but everyone seemed to be mixing it up very well. In fact, it was so busy the guitar player showed up an hour into it, and we figured it was probably best to just let it be. So, he grabbed a hot toddy and blended in with the crowd. The raffle got off to a bit of a late start, but several happy folks left with prizes of tea, chocolate, books, and a very handsome teapot.

It was a bit of a whirlwind evening for us since we stayed open for sales and there was a constant flow of people buying tea, teaware, gifts, etc. Note to self: Close at 6 pm and start the party at 7 pm. We figured it would taper off enough to finish our party preparations, but we were busy right up to the start of the event. The only bummer about such an evening is that we would have liked to connect with more of you. There were several friends who arrived, hung out, gave a nod and a smile, and then I never got to them before they were gone. That was a bummer. So, our apologies for that.

We look forward to more upcoming events, so stay tuned. And again, thank you so much for your kindness and support. We have been so pleased with the affirming feedback. We are doing this for our customers, so when we hear that we’ve done it well, all of the delays, inspections, etc. just fade from memory. We feel fortunate to be doing this at all.

Cold, rainy and windy made for a nice day off yesterday. Good to cozy up with some homemade chai. On that note, just a reminder that we are closed on Mondays, open every other day.

We hope to see you soon. Thanks for checking in!

- James

Dec

9

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So, say you have just opened your business after many months, years, etc. of work. The first week surpasses your expectations! You are super happy if not a little sleepy. Then, a wonderful neighborhood event happens the first weekend. It is consistently busy throughout the night! Actually, really busy at times! The kind of busy where you want to stop and talk to everyone, but it’s difficult because you need to measure out another four ounces of oolong. At some point you think, “It would be great to get some photos tonight. I’d love to share the images with the folks who check the blog and couldn’t make it tonight. Oh, another two ounces of Tung Ting? Coming right up!” And by the end of the evening, when you’re cleaning up you realize, “What? We didn’t get one SINGLE photo tonight? What am I going to post for the blog?”

Yep, a blank space where a great image should have been. Believe me, this was a great problem to have. We were completely blown away by the response at the shop during the Walkabout. It was so much fun! To be able to share the space we created with everyone, to be able to measure out teas we have painstakingly considered stocking for our customers. . .well, let’s just say one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

So, this is a huge thanks to everyone who shared that evening with us. There were so many gracious compliments. I have to admit, it feels pretty amazing. After thinking about everything, planning meticulously, and indeed taking big leaps, it just means a lot. We feel fortunate to be doing this.

For those who missed it, if you get a chance this Saturday (12.13) we are having our official opening party beginning at 6 pm. We would love to see you! And, if by chance you can’t make it, there WILL be some photos to post. Just don’t trust me to bring the camera.

We actually had to re-order several of our teas this week due to demand. Everything will be fully stocked through the holidays. Tea, teaware, books, etc. make amazing gifts. We’re more than happy to recommend gift package ideas, and we’ll actually be putting some together ourselves very soon. Everything is still 10% off through Saturday night.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Dec

5

Those two things are kind of important to mention on your blog, don’t you think? It’s the little things that can slip by us. Sheesh.

So, we are open:

Tuesday through Friday 11am to 7pm
Saturday 10am to 6pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm
Closed Monday

And we are located at:
3009 Beech Street
San Diego, 92102

It has been an amazing week! So many great people. We have really enjoyed seeing what teas people are interested in. White teas, oolongs, and green teas (both Chinese and Japanese) have been very popular. We have actually had some genuine interest in oolongs, which means that we are really looking forward to adding a couple more to our selection.

Don’t forget about the Walkabout this Saturday from 6 to 10pm. More good stuff to come!

Thanks for checking in. Hope all is well with you.

- James

Dec

2

It’s Happening

December 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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You never thought it would happen, did you? Well, maybe we never thought it would happen, but it has indeed. We quietly opened our doors and have spent the past few days putting the final details into place. We have met a lot of great people from the neighborhood, and everyone has been really supportive. While everything is being finalized, we are offering a 10% “Work-in-Progress” discount on all purchases through December 13th. Come in and see the shop; we would love to hear your feedback and share some tea. It has been a long road, but we made it! Thank you all so much for your interest and support!

EVENTS

South Park Walkabout
This Saturday, from 6 to 10 pm we will be open for the South Park neighborhood Walkabout. Neighborhood shops will be open, a free trolley is available for those who want to explore all of the shops, bars and restaurants in the area. You’re in for music, cheer, community, and lots of fun. We will have samples and snacks at the ready, so please stop by and see us!

Halcyon Tea Grand Opening
What’s an opening without a party? We would love for you to help us celebrate our grand opening on Saturday, December 13th beginning at 6 pm. Lots of friends, music, tea, snacks, all kinds of specials, and some nice raffle prizes to boot! Who doesn’t like a good raffle? Especially when it’s quality teas and teaware on the block. We hope to see you there!

As always, thanks so much for checking in! More to come.

- James