During this time of year, most of us find ourselves so frazzled to find ways of expressing our thankfulness and love for others that we often forget to reflect upon what it is that we are really thankful for.  In this brief intermission of seasons, before holiday orders start flooding in and before our employees begin to gain grey by the minute, we wanted to take a moment to sit with our thoughts and reflect upon what it is that we are thankful for.  It is no short list.

First, foremost and always, we would like to thank you - our customers. You make it all happen for us. You push us to our best performance, encourage us to stay current and innovative with our tea blends and bless us with your patronage. While we truly love tea, it is you that we are passionate about. It brings us immeasurable joy to watch a new business establish roots, to see the small café thriving alongside major corporations, and to receive word that our efforts and products make a difference. Thank you for allowing us into your lives!

In this time of economic hardship, we are truly honored and thankful to be here. We are grateful to have joined hands with new customers and thankful for the years that we have shared with old. We are overjoyed to have been able to integrate three new members into our team over the past year, now totaling nine. We are blessed by all that they bring to the table and are privileged to be able to contribute to their lives as well. Welcome Kelly, Lupita and Tere!

We strive always to remember our thanks for each and every day, and to allow it to shine through in the work that we do and our connections with others. Each moment is a gift and having people to share it with an honor. Thank you for sharing in our lives, and may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

With love, from the Maya Tea Company

While we all have grown to love manufactured scents like Clinique’s “Happy” or Chanel “No. 5”, who can deny that the scents that we crave the most are of the earth? After an afternoon’s work in the garden, when I am blanketed from head to toe in a thick, damp layer of my surroundings, I am reluctant to wash the potting soil from my arms. Something about the delicate, moist mixture of manure and dirt soothes my mind and enriches my senses. Every time I sense the coming of rain I step outside and breathe in slowly, deeply, filling my lungs and spirit with the sky’s perfume. For years I have longed for the commercial bottling of such scents. We all like our perfumes; when I mist my wrist I can confidently grace public knowing that I smell good, but I never take in those scents like I do the rain. If I smelled that good, I’d never get anything done. I would remain in my bathroom permanently, nose to wrist, eyes closed, in a permanent state of ecstasy.

We may never find these godly scents in a bottle, but you can find them in a cup. Ancient and mysterious, Puer tea embodies some of the most pleasurable scents known to man: Soil. Earth. Clay. Must. The flavor mimics its robust scent- smooth, earthy, and non-offensive. Manish Shah, owner of Maya Tea Company, once described Puer’s unique flavor profile as follows: “It’s like a thick stack of National Geographics stored away in an attic for ten years…”. This description was given to a potential client, and my jaw hung open as I sat next to him sputtering desperately that Puer “is not that bad” and assuring the customer of its worthiness.

While perhaps not the most flattering of descriptions, Manish pegged one of the most important aspects of Puer – age. Puer is indeed stacked and set aside for years, often inside a clay pot contributing to its natural aroma. The tea leaves are stored while slightly damp, allowing for a natural fermentation process that continues slowly as the tea ages. For that reason, Puer is the only variety of tea that gains value as it gains years – while other teas grow stale with time and are arid after only a few short years, most Puer is not consumed until it reaches its tenth year and as it gains considerable years its value grows exponentially. Often, pressed Puer cakes that have been preserved for over a century fetch a retail price of over $13,000.

As you might imagine, there are hoards of consumers that make their Puer selections by vintage, snubbing low-cost varieties for those that are most valuable. Differences in flavor are distinctive between varieties, and I encourage people to choose their tea with a blind eye for the price tag. On several occasions I have prepared high grade Puers and have found myself disappointed with the resulting infusion; I much prefer the fuller flavor of the loose variety, which also proves a better friend to my wallet.

Why Puer? Taste, first and foremost. Value, for those of you who are a collective type. Lastly and always most importantly, for good health. All teas have been proven to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and the risk of cancer while boosting metabolism and bone density. As a variety of tea, Puer offers all of the aforementioned characteristics, yet due to its unique processing it carries a few extra tricks up its sleeve. Studies within China, France and Japan have shown Puer to aid in the detoxification of the liver, prevent intestinal infection, and aid in digestion. Often the crew of Maya Tea frequents local food establishments during lunch together, and when we return after an hour of gorging, shuffling through the front door with limbs dragging behind and settling down heavily into our seats, we turn to Puer as our savior. The fermented leaves help our overstuffed bellies to process quickly and effectively, the caffeine allowing our sluggish minds to settle into work.

As a whole, our company relies heavily on Puer as the cure for the self-inflicted “food coma”, as a gateway to our alert and active minds, and as a soothing and soulful way to connect to the earth around us. Puer has never disappointed us. So the next time the scent of precipitation is carried in the breeze or you retire from hours spent in glorious mud, have indulged too much during mealtime or are sitting down with a National Geographic, settle in with a cup of Puer. You will be pleasantly surprised.

“We all wear alot of hats…”, a phrase often uttered within the doors of our tea company.  As a small company, it comes as no surprise that our employees often fill more than one specific role.  Though we all bring our specialties to the table, at any given moment we shuck our projects to the side to focus our attentions on other tasks at hand.  With only five heads, the many hats of industry tend to rotate among the bunch.  Every day brings unique challenges, and ten eager arms together lift the weight of daily business.

Here is something that you may not know about  us:  the company itself also wears many hats.  Did you think we operated solely in tea?  Think again.  Our talents and efforts bleed into several other areas.  A true entrepreneur, founder Manish Shah never closes his eyes to opportunity.

Maya Tea Company itself got its start at a local farmers’ market here in Tucson.  Eleven years ago, Manish sat alone at a booth selling small bags filled with his own formulation of chai.  One simple product, one man, one day a week.  The growth of the tea company mirrored the growth of the farmers’ market, and in 2002 the administrator of the market stepped down and Manish was asked to fill his shoes.  Manish became the market coordinator, and today this event is still operated from within our small company.  Monday through Friday our phone lines buzz with potential vendors and customer inquiries, and with dawn on Saturday and Sundays our two market locations begin to crawl with agriculture.  From large scale farms to local backyard growers, bakeries to barbecue, flowers to eggs, vendors and their booths line the manicured courtyards of our Oro Valley and St. Phillips markets fifty-two weeks a year, offering the fruits of their labor to the community.

Every week we work to organize these community events, sending press releases, planning market festivals, and processing applications.  Amidst our large bags of tea and mixing machines are market tables, signs and tents.  Our efforts endlessly intermingle between the two.

Then, there are the spices.

The Cafe Terra Cotta, a beloved local restaurant and one of our longest wholesale tea customers, sadly closed its doors during last year’s economic downturn.  Alongside the savory southwestern dishes that they specialized in, they also produced a line of spice mixtures for the public to replicate their delicious sauces, glazes, marinades and dressings.  When the business closed, Manish stepped forward and offered to carry on their spice legacy.  Terra Cotta’s exclusive spice recipes are now mixed and packaged here alongside our tea blends, and we are proud to continue to provide the exquisite flavors of the Southwest to our customers.  This week we have introduced these spice mixtures to our website  so that you may carry on the Terra Cotta traditions from your own kitchen.

To browse the line of Terra Cotta spices, click here.

In the spirit of experimentation and creativity, we have included the line of spices in our research and development sector, and in our spare time (ha!) we tinker with new spice mixtures.  Our chefs hats are always kept handy in our back pockets, and just as you check in regularly for new tea offerings you should keep an eye on our spices as well.  We hope to offer additional Southwestern spices within the next few months, including our current project, an Adobado sauce mixture.

Here is something else you may not know… I am the company bookkeeper.  That is my specialty, and every week I balance our registers, pay our bills and manage our accounts.  It is my honor and privilege to write these blogs, providing you with a glimpse of the inner-workings of the Maya Tea Company, who we are and what we do.  This is just an example of the versatility behind our doors, and between you and me, this is my favorite hat.

Cheers!

A few years ago I read a book entitled The Salmon of Doubt, which was a collection of the late author Douglas Adams’ unfinished, unpublished, and under appreciated works.   Known primarily for his famed Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently series and of course for his insights into the meaning of life, the universe, and everything, some of Douglas’ other talents and passions seemed to escape under the radar.

Slewn among the comical essays and chapters was an excerpt that he wrote in 1999, two years prior to his sudden and unexpected death.  The few paragraphs were written in response and presumably annoyance to Americans who had no understanding of the wonders of tea.  When it comes the the value of loose leaf tea, well, Douglas says it best.

Here is a unique glimpse into the mind of a genius.  Enjoy.

Tea

May 12, 1999

One or two Americans have asked me why the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to make it properly.

There is a very simple principle to the making of tea, and it’s this—to get the proper flavour of tea, the water has to be boilING (Not boilED) when it hits the tea leaves.  If it’s merely hot, then the tea will be insipid. That’s why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as no to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot).  And that’s why American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag, and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a tin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink.  The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans HAVE NEVER HAD A GOOD CUP OF TEA.  That’s why they don’t understand.  In fact, the truth of the matter is that most English people don’t know how to make tea anymore either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants.

So the best advice I can give to an American arriving in England is this:  Go to Marks and Spencer and buy a packet of Earl Grey tea.  Go back to where you’re staying and boil a kettle of water.  While it is coming to the boil, open the sealed packet and sniff.  Careful—you may feel a bit dizzy, but this is in fact perfectly legal.  When the kettle has boiled, pour a little of it into a teapot, swirl it around, and tip it out again.  Put a couple (or three, depending on the size of the pot) of tea bags into the pot.  (If I was really trying to lead you into the paths of righteousness, I would tell you to use free leaves rather than bags, but let’s just take this in easy stages.)  Bring the kettle back up to the boil, and then pour the boiling water as quickly as you can into the pot.  Let is stand for two or three minutes, and then pour it into a cup.  Some people will tell you that you shouldn’t have milk with Earl Grey, just a slice of lemon.  Screw them.  I like it with milk.  If you think you will like it with milk, then it’s probably best to put some milk into the bottom of the cup before you pour in the tea.  If you pour milk into a cup of hot tea, you will scald the milk.  If you think you will prefer it with a slice of lemon, then, well, add a slice of lemon.

Drink it.  After a few moments you will begin to think that the place you’ve come to isn’t maybe quite so strange and crazy after all.

Saturday at dusk I sat perched upon a rooftop, straining to see past the silhouette of a pine, mesmerized by the streaking reds and blues, the pulsing greens, and the glimmering silvers that painted the evening sky.  Festivities gave way across America as people gathered by the barbecue, kicked back beers and huddled under the sky, celebrating the day two hundred and thirty-three years ago that our forefathers declared an independent nation.

So what does this have to do with tea?

Let’s back up a bit… a lot, actually.  By the early 1700’s, Great Britain had issued a monopoly on all tea imported and distributed within their country. The East India Trading Company was the sole legal importer of tea, and for these rights they paid a hefty 25% tax on all imported goods. Tea was bought in massive amounts at auction in Britain and then imported from there to the colonies, where it faced an additional tax. This, in turn, raised the price of tea significantly for the end user, and as a result boosted illegal importation of tea from countries such as Holland. In fact, so much tea was brought into the country illegally that by the 1760’s the East India Trading Company began to suffer despite their monopolized rights. In order to help the company, Britain allowed the East India Company to import directly to the Americas, cutting out the brokerage in Britain and increasing their profit margin dramatically. The high taxes on the tea for the colonists were left in place however, and for colonists in America, angry at the high levels of taxation they faced with no representation in the government, this was the last straw.

By the early 1770’s American colonists had issued a boycott of all tea products and had successfully turned away several ships of product from their ports. In 1773 when three large ships entered the port of Boston, several men guarded the area to be sure that the product could not be unloaded while over seven thousand colonists gathered in an adjacent meeting to discuss the tactics of their strike. For twenty days the colonists urged the ships’ captain to return to Britain with the product, and at the objection of the Massachusetts governor, for twenty days the ships sat stationery. On December 16, 1773, the eve of the twentieth day, over a hundred men lightly disguised as Indians boarded each of the three ships. Hacking with their tomahawks, they broke open each of 342 chests of tea and spilled the contents over the edge and into the open waters below. Over 90,000 pounds of loose tea was lost to sea on that night.

This event, dubbed the “Boston Tea Party”, was not received well in Britain. In response, British parliament enacted the Coercive Acts, which essentially closed down the port of Boston to all commerce and incoming ships and demanded payment for the lost product. This punishment dramatically hurt the settlers in Massachusetts, and sympathies began to pour out from other colonies. The intention of the Coercive Acts was to keep the colonies in line, yet it only served to unify them against British rule. The first Continental Congress was held as a result in September of 1774, and within a year the colonies were pitted against British armies in the Revolutionary War.

The Boston Tea Party is considered to be one of the first acts of protest in our nation, and as the colonies united to become states of America and our own constitution was written the right to free speech and protest was remembered and protected. In recent months, news has been flush with members of the Republican party gathering together in many cities across the nation to protest recent spending by the Obama administration. They have called these gatherings “Tea Parties”.

The 4^th of July celebrates the day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was written. Two hundred and thirty-three years later, we remain a strong, independent nation, and Britain has remained a close ally, despite the rocky start to our relationship. In remembrance, I’d like to propose a toast to our country and also to the one that we parted ways from long ago, and what better to toast with than our English Breakfast tea.

Here’s to our country: Happy Birthday.

That’s right, we’re keeping up with the ages!  Sooo…  what does this mean?

We are implimenting some exciting new features through our FaceBook page.  First,  we will have live discussions with our customers and fans about an array of tea related topics.  Currently, in response to my most recent blog (MmmmMaté!) we are discussing “Your Favorite Tea”.  Join us in this chat, or start your own!  This discussion room is an excellent opportunity for us to talk intimately with each of you, to answer your questions and receive your feedback!

Keep up to date on our upcoming events.  We will keep an updated list of all tradeshows, charity events, and tastings in our future, and look forward to seeing you all there!

Get in contact with our customer base, whether it be the local restaurants and coffee shops serving Maya Teas in your area, or other fans of our tea who enjoy it from home.  Find out where you can sip our tea locally!

Enjoy our photo collection, soon to be rapidly expanding.  We will be including photos of our teas, our blending facilities, our wonderful staff, our events, and our projects.  Get to know us a little better!

It has been more than a pleasure writing to you all for the past few months, sharing a bit about our history, our products, and our preferences.  You can look forward to many more blogs, and I can’t wait to hear back from some of you!  I am thoroughly anticipating opening our line of communication even further.

Join us on FaceBook!

In my two years experience at Maya Tea, I have become very familiar with the Frequently Asked Questions of the tea industry.  Most, such as brewing techniques, health benefits, and origins, require a semi-automated response, but the most common of all questions is answered differently by each individual.  “What is your favorite?”

I preface my response with a warning.  My tastes often differ from those of the general public- I prefer strong, bold, natural flavors, and tend to stay away from fruity or sweet notes.   My tea tastes closely resemble my beer tastes, and I enjoy both ends of the spectrum of natural flavors - the sharp and bitter and the thick and toasty.  In beer, this means Stone IPA and Guinness Draught, and in tea this means Yerba Maté and Puer.

Today I want to talk about Yerba Maté.  Its moment of glory is well deserved.

Let me again emphasize this word of caution - this infusion is not for the faint of heart!  Those of you who habitually drink vanilla and apricot teas may find yourselves shocked at first sip, its flavor is unique - strong and grassy, equally sweet and bitter - and the effect of this tisane is even more profound.

I’ll begin at the beginning, in my tale it is crucial.  My first sip of maté was my first real introduction to tea, and set me on the tea-trodden trail where I find myself today.  That first sip was taken in a small plant-filled shop with a discreet sign inscribed “Buzz’s Yerba Mate Bar”.  It was taken through a small metal straw, called a bombilla, which filtered the loose leaves within the cup from the liquid I consumed.  It carried a hint of lavender, as the shop owner enjoyed adding a touch of other flavors to compliment his drinks.  That first sip knocked my socks off.

Traditionally, maté is drunk from a hollowed gourd.  Loose maté leaves sit within the gourd and the drinker repeatedly pours hot water over the leaves, drinking through the bombilla, until the leaves lose their flavor or the drinker runs out of hot water, whichever happens first.  This is how I was served maté in Buzz’s Maté Bar, and it is a good thing because had I not continued to drink from the gourd over the following hour I may have never found my true love for it.  That first sip is intense.  My lips puckered into that infamous sour expression, but I carried on and soon discovered that the true joy in maté is not in the taste (though that dramatic flavor grows on you, I promise) but in the elevating effect that it has on your spirits.  Its high caffeine content increases your energy, and the array of other xanthenes provide you with an overwhelming sense of well-being.  Maté makes you… happy.  Plain and simple.  And even more pleasurable is the time that it takes for you to consume it.  Most of us don’t take time out for “tea time” anymore; our mugs sit by our side as we continue at other tasks- tea is secondary to life.  Maté forced me to settle in for the long haul, to enjoy my companions and surroundings and, well, myself.

That was the start of it all.  I frequented the Maté Bar until its close (let’s face it- a shop that sells solely maté has a meek chance at survival) and afterwards began searching for other enticing beverages, a search which proved very fruitful and, three years later, landed me on the doorstep of Maya Tea looking for a job.  During my interview the owner, Manish, asked me why I wanted to work in the tea industry, and as I gushed about my love for the drink I confessed to him which of all was my absolute favorite.  He responded with a scowl.  “That grassy stuff?!?” he exclaimed, and shook his head.  In fact, not a soul at the tea company shared in my enjoyment of the drink.  I was dubbed the Maté Girl, and every morning I brewed myself a strong cup to kick-start my day while my coworkers giggled in the background, slowly sipping their darjeelings and senchas.

Ha.  I’ve got the last laugh.  Fast forward two years, and I am proud to say that I have made a convert out of each and every one of them.  Now, whenever we go on the road to tradeshows and the like we pack ourselves with an excess of Maté to help us through our shifts.  We drink it on the road, in the office, and in our homes.  I like to consider myself a pusher of the herb, scouring the earth for those who have not yet found their love for maté and, well, showing them the light.

And now, it is your turn.  Try it - I dare you.

To experience enlightenment by maté, click here.

“You know, you can add a touch of tequila to this and…   Mmmmmmmm.” says Roxanne Garcia of our Pomegranate Mojito green tea.  Roxanne, who has been with Maya Tea for over five years, has recently added six signature tea blends to her repertoire, including the Pomegranate Mojito.  A tea featuring the zesty flavors of mint, lime and pomegranate, it closely resembles the flavor profile of the traditional Cuban cocktail with one exclusion - alcohol.  Yet this can be remedied from the comfort of home, Roxanne advises eager customers.

A new trend has been seeping into fancy food establishments and deluxe tea bars across the nation.  Menus have been adorned with cocktail items like “Silk Road” and “Darjeeling Kiss”, cocktails featuring the delicate flavors of, you guessed it, tea.  And why not?

We have all heard of the famed Long Island Iced Tea, which sits in the top five percent of popular cocktails.  Those of us with experience on either side of the bar can tell you its bizarre secret - there is no tea involved.  Its base, aside from the many assorted liquors, is a mixture of sweet & sour and just a splash of coca cola, resulting in a flavor remarkably similar to iced black tea.  Though the flavor has been mimicked with scores of success, it has been only in recent years that people have considered including tea in cocktails, and we’re not looking back.

At Maya Tea, we are promoters of “tea time” and also deeply value the “cocktail hour”, and we couldn’t be more pleased to merge the two.  Several years ago we created our own tea-tail, the Chaitini.  It is a creamy and decadent martini featuring our richly spiced Chai Concentrate.  Here’s the recipe:

• 2 oz Chai Concentrate.  (You may also use loose chai, just brew at triple strength and use 2 oz of tea)
• 1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/2 oz Kahlua
• 1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka
• 1/2 oz Frangelico Hazelnut Liquor
• 1 oz Half & Half or Heavy Whipping Cream

Shake ingredients with ice to chill, strain and serve with a garnish of cinnamon.

Chai tea serves remarkably well in cocktails with its robust spice profile, but you don’t need dramatic flavors to enhance a beverage.  Even delicate white teas can add complexity and interest to a drink.  Take, for example, the “Kumquat Tea Mojito”, which combines equal parts white tea, rum, and simple syrup with kumquat halves, mint leaves, lime juice and club soda.  Or the “African Sunset”, which mixes subtle steeped rooibos herbal tea with vodka, amaretto, lemon, lime and sugar.  Then, there’s the more traditional iced tea flavor that has made the Long Island such a winner.  Strong black tea can be infused into vodka by simply stirring dry tea leaves into a few ounces of liquor and letting it sit at room temperature for 2-5 minutes.  The flavor of the tea is absorbed into vodka just as it would be with boiled water, and the strength of the flavors will amaze you.  Simply add juice of lemon, ice and your choice of tonic, club soda, lemonade or water and voila, your spiked iced tea is complete.

Tea liqueurs have also been a recent introduction to the market, and serve as an easy alternative for infusing your own spirits.  Firefly Vodka offers a unique line of tea-based vodkas, distilled four times and infused with fresh tea leaves from the America’s own Charleston Tea Plantation.  Their line includes a Sweet Tea Vodka, Raspberry Tea Vodka, Mint, Lemon and Peach Tea Vodkas.  As a Christmas gift last year I enjoyed a bottle of their traditional blend, the Sweet Tea Vodka, and was pleasantly surprised by its resemblance to my grandmother’s sweet tea that I enjoyed as a child.  All that was required was a cup of ice and a squeeze of lemon, and I was hooked.  Other companies have formulated green tea liquors, such as Zen Green Tea Liquor and Charbay Green Tea Vodka, which can be shaken with juice, tonic, lime, or any other mixer for a new twist on any traditional cocktail.

It is important to remember that there are no boundaries to which we must abide when drinking tea.  Historically it has carried ceremonial implications, and most of us imagine drinking tea in a quiet, meditative state.  In Japan, tea is sipped in peaceful gardens as a means to reflect upon the beauty and serenity in life.  In England, tea was taken in the afternoons as a cultural staple and a depiction of class.  In America however, tea has carried quite different values.  It has been the cause of riots and strikes, and tea parlors served as “singles bars” during the era of the flappers and the time of prohibition.  In fact, it was during prohibition that whiskey first was introduced to the teacup.  Let us not forget that tea, while delicate and serene, has a wild side, particularly in our own history.  With that in mind, take a step outside of the box and, well, get a buzz!

Cheers!

Anyone who has tested Maya Tea against other brands can verify its superiority.  The leaves we pick are of superb quality, reflected in the wonderful aroma and taste in each sip.  We search high and low for the best teas at an affordable price, and we pride ourselves in providing excellent varieties from regions all over the world including China, Japan, India, South America, Africa and Argentina.  All of the blending however is done in one location, at our offices in Tucson, Arizona.  Every so often a customer from this website will visit Tucson and ask to stop by to see the facility and pick up a tea order, which we happily oblige, and it is always a thrill to see the look on a customer’s face when they walk in the front door:  is this it?

We reside in a small converted house tucked away in a neighborhood in central Tucson.  No sign marks our presence, only the sleek number 225 above our door and the sweet, fruity aroma that lingers around the building will ensure that you’re in the right place.  As you enter the double front door, you will likely be greeted by our tea blender and the first employee of the Maya Tea Company, who bustles around the front of the shop blending teas and packaging them to go out the door. This front room is the “blending facility”, where a portion of our tea leaves become signature Maya Tea blends.  It is a cramped 10×20 room lined with one large packing machine, one large mixer, a long table complete with sealers and scales, and about twenty large bags of tea, each containing about 100 pounds or so.  These teas serve as the base product for most of our tea blends and iced teas.

As you breeze through the hallway you will pass a table of outgoing orders and a small office that holds the heart of the company, owner Manish Shah.  His ear is pressed against the phone and his laughter carries out into the hallway, and in a moment he’ll likely filter out to greet you personally.

The small hallway opens into a larger back room, lined with shelving to hold every ingredient in use for our blends, from hibiscus to echinacea, licorice root to cinnamon, and everything in between.  Against the front wall there are two desks, where five employees rotate to do everything that the company requires, from accounting to sales and website management.

That’s it.  There are no other rooms.  Amazement usually resonates with those who have never before seen our facilities- we pump a lot of magic from so discreet a place.  Distinct blends like Vanilla Mint Sencha and Seven Seas came from within this building, and the creativity never stops.  Frequently large boxes of ingredients are dragged to the front, measured and mixed in large mixing bowls, and finally taken into the office to be cupped and approved by the heart.  Every year several new blends are introduced, and this year we are off to an exceptional start.

Allow me to introduce you to the featured flavors of 2009 - they were created with love by our small family, and we know they will be tasted with love by yours.

Cocoa Creme Black Tea. For the first time, the bold, aromatic flavors of coffee are introduced to our smooth South Indian black tea.  This marriage is celebrated with spicy cocoa, creamy yogurt chips, and the light, toasty flavor of vanilla, surprising our senses and delighting anyone who thought they would never savor the best of both worlds.

Coconut Rush Black Tea. Rich, malty Assam black tea blends smoothly with the subtle grassy flavors of South American Yerba Mate, providing the perfect base for our newly featured flavor, coconut.  Sprinkled with shreds of real coconut, this tea embodies comfort and leisure.  Perfect both hot and iced.

Spicy Pear Black Tea. A vibrant black Assam tea combines with cinnamon chips and pear to create a delicious, full bodied smooth tea.  Its spicy notes are reminiscent of fall afternoons, and sips of this piquant tea will warm the spirit and enliven the mind.

Toasty Almond Black Tea. An exotic and intoxicatingly nutty almond flavor with a light touch of vanilla blends beautifully to create a wonderfully balanced, toasty black tea.  Perfect served in the English fashion, with a touch of milk for a tasty tea latte.

Jasmine Sunset Green Tea. As the title suggests, this tea bursts with individuality and zest.  Jasmine Green Tea is infused with Rooibos, a red bush tea from South Africa.  Lemon Verbena, Ginger and Orange are splashed across the palette for an exquisite and aromatic finish.  Served well for a relaxing evening or an after-dinner drink.

And, last but most certainly not least (this tea has already become more popular than our beloved Apricot Black), the Pomegranate Mojito Green Tea. A unique spin off of the Cuban Mojito, a drink traditionally featuring the zesty flavors of mint and lime.  Pomegranate gently compliments these predominate flavors against a smooth and delicate green tea base.  This tranquil blend is perfect for a summer afternoon and, as the creator of the blend will tell you, mixes remarkably well with tequila for an extra special treat.

These new blends of 2009 are available on our website, and come highly recommended by our team.  As we continue to evolve, you can expect to see the birth of additional blends.  And as always, do feel free to stop in!

If you haven’t noticed, our website has recently undergone some structural and functional changes.  We have revamped in order to provide you with an easier, more enjoyable shopping experience.  Here are some of the changes you may notice:

1.  Better, Clearer Pictures. From the long, twisted variety to the hand-rolled pearls of tea, now you can view our teas in the exquisite detail that they deserve.

2.  More Variety. We have countless varieties of teas in stock and endless blending options, but until now only a selected portion of these have been available to you.  Our motto?  If we can blend it, you can buy it.  Make sure to browse our tea shop to see all that has been added, including a line of decaffeinated teas, chai teas, holiday varieties and tea accessories.

3.  Tea Accessories. We will have a rotating stock of beautiful, hand crafted teapots appearing in the “Accessories” section of our tea shop.  You will always find infusers and teabags in this section, but make sure to check back often for the teapots.  We carry only one of each, so the pots available will be changing frequently.

4.  Blogging. We’re doing it.  For those of you reading this blog, you likely have noticed that we haven’t posted one in over two years.  That doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been anything going on, on the contrary we have been growing exponentially and our office has been buzzing nonstop with news.  We simply haven’t delivered it to the forefront.  With the introduction of our revised website, this is changing.

So keep posted - you can expect to hear from me soon!