A Better Use of the Teabag

April 28, 2009 | 2 Comments

A lot of talk about teabags in the news lately. Ah, whatever for all of that. Here’s a better use to consider. Try it and let us know if it works. This helpful hint comes from the book Uruwaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan. Yes, of course we stock it. It looks like this:

I must say, the remedies I tried did actually work. Maybe I’ll go write on myself and try this one too. But, James, you guys have tea bags? I thought you were all about loose leaf teas? Yes, but remember we’re not snobby about it. And, all I have to do is use a T-Sac full of loose tea. We sell a lot of boxes of T-Sac disposable, biodegradable, unbleached bags that people use for their convenience. We have used them for events and they work like a charm when needed.

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

- James

Apr

20

A Few Cooling Teas

April 20, 2009 | 3 Comments

Wow, it has been a warm few days here in San Diego. Record temperatures. Did you know that during heat like this, tea is your friend more than ever?
It is. And I’m not just talking iced tea (though it is indeed AMAZING on days like these). Remember, not all hot tea is prepared with boiling water (212°). Teas like sencha or gyokuro (Japanese greens) are brewed with water as low as 140°. But today I’m talking about a few teas that are prepared with water ranging from 175° to 185°. You will be amazed at how naturally cooling these teas can be. Below are three of my warm weather favorites. Each has already been featured here as a “Tea of the Week” for 10% off, but I’m sure if you mention this blog post we can work something out.

1. Silver Needle Fujian White Tea
Light-colored liquor and smooth, subtle flavor with hints of honey, apricots and flowers. Delicate, yet rich and sweet with a velvety cool mouthfeel. Absolutely refreshing.

2. Wenshan Baozhong Taiwanese Oolong
Very lightly oxidized and highly aromatic with cooling fresh floral hints of gardenia. The infusion is a beautiful light shade of green in the cup, smooth and sweet with a subtle presence that is deceptively complex.

3. Huang Shan Mao Feng Chinese Green Tea
A clear, bright liquor yields a sweet, mildly nutty flavor with a crisp, refreshing finish and light body.

These are just a few of my personal favorites during warm spells, but there are several more. Japanese greens just say springtime to me and they are always refreshingly crisp. Noticeably absent are herbals like our Organic Peppermint. I like to combine this with our Gunpowder green as a nod to the Moroccan green tea tradition. Or, combine the Gunpowder green with fresh mint and sugar for a more authentic representation. If you’re interested in trying Moroccan style green tea this recipe is a start. You can drink it hot or pour it over ice and shake—either way it is just too good.

As I mentioned, iced tea is a given, but there are many ways to go here too. I’m a classic black iced tea fan, but have you had iced Lychee Black? We prepared gallons of this during the Spring Walkabout. It’s naturally sweet and exceptionally fragrant with a slightly rosy taste. Another hugely popular iced option is our Hibiscus Breeze Organic, especially for those who want a no-caffeine option. We aren’t even mentioning iced green tea, oolongs, etc. These are excellent ways to turn your friends on to new possibilities. It’s your chance to show them how much of a hip, artisan foodie type you are!

We’ll talk more about iced tea options, recipes, etc. as the warm summer months begin to settle in. Hey, our shop faces north and it’s always much cooler inside on warm days. If you’re in the neighborhood, duck on in for a taste and some idle chat with your friendly neighborhood tea merchants.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Apr

16

First-Flush Darjeeling Has Landed!

April 16, 2009 | 3 Comments

We are very happy to announce the arrival of our first 2009 Darjeeling. This amazing first-flush (first harvest of the new year) offering hails from the venerable Margaret’s Hope estate. Since there was limited rainfall in Darjeeling, we were concerned about the year’s first harvest. There are fewer great options this year, but they do exist, and in my opinion this tea outdoes our very popular Pussimbing first-flush 2008. We completely sold out of that tea, and for those who enjoyed the Pussimbing, you’ll love the Margaret’s Hope. The tea has been painstakingly hand-plucked, and the tender leaves have a clear, fresh, fruity muscat aroma that is uniquely Darjeeling. At first sip, you instantly notice the smooth mouthfeel and crisp fruity-floral notes. The finish is sweet, with the classic first-flush brightness, and the flavor just lingers. We are very happy!

If you’re in the neighborhood, we welcome you to stop in for a taste of this wonderful new offering. If you are on our mailing list, keep a look out for the next eNews. If you are not on the list and would like to sign up, you can do it here. We thank you all for your interest. Stay tuned for more!

As always, thanks so much for checking in. We hope all is well with you

- James

Apr

4

Weekend Update

April 4, 2009 | 4 Comments

Wow, the week blew by! It has been an eventful time here at the shop. Our first Tea 101 session went very well, and we could not have had a better group to start things off. Do we have pictures, you ask? Of course not! We are seriously bad about taking pictures. Take last weekend’s spring South Park Walkabout. It was an amazing evening with music, tea, food and friends. Photos? Just this one below, which was taken just as we finished our setup before the event began. After the first trolley arrived, most of our time was spent filling orders, enjoying the people, and keeping the hot water and iced tea flowing.

The only one of us active with a camera that day was Mila. She took the above photo at the end of the Old Santos String Band performance. A huge, huge thanks to our good friend Kellyn and her fellow musicians for a wonderful evening of old time string band music. Red Bull and old time? Who knew?

Earlier in the day, Mila was running around with the camera during our setup. Here are a few of her shots. Kinda fun to see the shop from the perspective of a 5 year-old: