Jul

23

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Iced tea, snacks, music, people, and more! Join us this Saturday, July 25th from 6 to 10 pm for the Summer Walkabout. We will have two wonderful iced teas on tap, along with biscuits and chocolate for your tasting enjoyment. Also, we have two different musical performances scheduled on our corner. First, Trio Gadgjo will perform gypsy jazz (think Django Reinhardt, not the Gypsy Kings!) right outside our shop, in front of our new neighbors’ place next door. Then, at 8:00 a jazz duo will take over at the corner of 30th and Beech. Don’t miss it! Join us and our wonderful neighborhood business community as it looks like this Walkabout is shaping up to be the best one yet! We hope to see you there!

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Jul

23

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I love early summer, when the 2nd flush Darjeeling samples become available. This is from the first cupping of a selection of estate teas we did a few weeks back. They were pretty nice, but none of them made the cut. I have found that our customers really love that distinctive muscatel character many 2nd flush Darjeelings are known for (though I do love some of the more floral offerings too). With the 2nd flush, the light floral/fruit qualities of 1st flush selections convert to fuller-bodied teas, often with pronounced muscatel character. There is just nothing else like quality Darjeeling tea! Sorry, got a little excited there.

So, did any 2nd flush Darjeelings make the cut? Yes! We are proud to have selected Sungma Supreme Muscatel for our list. Beautifully sorted with a number of gold tips, this tea has a clear muscatel flavor with notes of dried fruit and a very mild astringency. It is crisp and mid-bodied in the cup with a clean, slightly sweet finish. It is a wonderful tea, hand-harvested and carefully crafted from China-origin bushes before boarding a plane and arriving in your cup. Another gem from halfway around the world!

Our 1st flush Darjeelings have proven very popular and we will continue to re-order them as long as they are available. We have a few more new teas that have just arrived, so stay tuned…

Thanks so much for checking in.

- James

Jul

12

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North Moroccan Mint Iced Tea

I’ve made this at the shop during the past two days, and it has been a hit! Incredibly cooling, lightly sweet, just delicious. We have had beautiful, warm weather here this weekend. We’ll be sure to have iced tea during the warm summer weekends, so if you’re in the neighborhood stop on by for a taste. It’s cooler in here!

We hope you are all doing well. Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jul

10

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photo: Alison Miksch from The New Tea Book

Iced tea in the summer months is one of my absolute favorite things in life. One could argue that, living in San Diego, it’s always kinda like summer anyway, right? Well, not really. We do have beautiful weather throughout the year, but the vibe is just different. How’s that for vague? While some would say that we don’t have seasons here, I disagree. We do! Seasons in San Diego are just a bit more subtle. It’s kind of like getting familiar with a delicate white or light green tea compared to a hearty black tea. Being tuned into the seasons here is just like honing your palate to really appreciate the subtleties. But, make no mistake, Summer is indeed in full swing and it’s the season for iced tea. Just like hot tea, there are just so many ways to take iced tea. A classic iced black tea can be made from a crisp Ceylon or a mid-bodied Assam. Sweet tea? Just add your sugar and lemon, maybe a little mint, and go out on your front porch swing. And don’t forget, iced herbals, green teas, scented teas…the possibilities really are endless. Stay tuned for some of our favorite iced tea recipes in upcoming posts.

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This little gem of book takes you on a very romantic visual journey of all things tea. The information is tight and concise, and the photography is lovely. A quick read, there are also some great tea beverage recipes along with recipes for cooking with tea. A great gift-bundle addition, this is also one to have in your own selection of tea books.

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We hope you are well. Thank you very much for checking in!

- James

Jul

4

We hope you enjoy your holiday weekend. We will be open tomorrow, Sunday, from 11 to 5. Have a great day!

Cheers, and thanks for checking in!

- James