The World's Most Powerful Green Tea

If energy drinks are up your alley and you like tea, you might be interested in Dragon Pearl Tea's new Super Natural Energy tea shots. They're produced in California from fresh-brewed organic green tea concentrate using pure whole-leaf tea and the company claims that a single 2-ounce shot is equal to drinking three cups of strong green tea. This supposedly makes it The World's Most Powerful Green Tea. Wow. More here.

In other ready-to-drink tea news, Charleston Tea Plantation, the nation's biggest tea grower (one of only a few, actually) recently announced that they will offer their American Classic Tea in bottled form. There will be three flavors in all. Nothing at the web site yet, but here's a brief announcement from their local press.

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Extreme Tea – An Extraordinary Celebration over a Brew

Extreme Tea – An Extraordinary Celebration over a Brew
(from a press release)

Lifeboat Tea, the tea brand that raises valuable funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), is launching its Extreme Tea initiative. Through partnerships with a range of extreme and unusual sporting ambassadors Extreme Tea aims to celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things – as is the case with the RNLI volunteers who put their lives at risk every day to save others.

The Lifeboat Tea Extreme Tea celebration will encourage people to share stories of the unusual places they drink tea. The ambassadors will be ‘taking tea’ in extreme places and situations to get people to recognise the lengths that the volunteer RNLI crew go to whilst most people are safely tucked up at home with a good brew.

Ambassadors include Cornish lifeguard and sprint kayaker Kerry Blewett, who is training with the GB sprint kayak team ahead of the London 2012 Olympics; Emily Sarsfield, the British number one ski-cross athlete; professional stand-up paddle surfer and windsurfer John Hibbard; professional windsurfer James Cox and mountaineer Geordie Stewart.

Lifeboat Tea is inviting people to follow the ambassadors and share photos via the Lifeboat Tea website, Facebook and Twitter. A bright orange Lifebot Tea van will also be on tour around the UK this summer.


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Plaza Citrus Tea-zer Recipe

As summer heats up in Boston, Pairings Restauarant is now offering two new tea infused cocktails: the Plaza Citrus Tea-zer and theJasmine Tea Sangria. These refreshing tea cocktails, created by in-house Tea Sommilier Cynthia Gold, are available now through the end of the summer on the Pairings’ patio for $12 a piece.

Makes 1
11/2 ounces Green Tea-Coconut Rum
3 ounces grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce Green Tea-zer Simple Syrup
Splash Champagne
Lemon twist for garnish (optional)
Basil leaf for garnish (optional)
Shake the rum, grapefruit juice, and syrup vigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Finish with a splash of Champagne and garnish with the lemon twist or a fresh basil leaf.


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Jose Feliciano Joins Bigelow Tea

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Fava Tea Company Now Offering Franchises

Fava Tea Company Now Offering Franchises
(from a press release)

Fava Tea Company, Wisconsin’s largest specialty loose tea retailer based in North Eastern Wisconsin, has established Fava World Franchising, LLC and is now offering Fava Tea Company retail store franchises in most States throughout the United States as a part of their growth plan. Fava Tea Company provides each guest a remarkable, memorable experience without the extravagant costs or pretense with over 300 teas from leading brands like Rishi Tea Company, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, and Fava Tea Company branded tea and tea rubs.

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Shangri La Tea Company Continues Its Winning Streak

Shangri La Tea Company Continues Its Winning Streak by Capturing Prestigious Tea Awards For 3rd Consecutive Year
(from a press release)

Solidly establishing its influential position in a competitive industry, the Los Angeles-based Shangri La Tea Company has been awarded two prestigious distinctions for excellence at the North American Tea Championship during the 2010 World Tea Expo which took place in Las Vegas, June 11-13.

For the third year in a row, Shangri La Tea Co. has distinguished itself from a field of more than 80 premium teas that were submitted for the tea championship. Shangri La Tea Company received two awards in the following categories:

Category: Food Service – Unflavored Green Iced Tea

1st Place, Organic Sushi Green Iced Tea

Category: Unflavored Black Iced Tea

2nd Place, Organic Black Iced Tea

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Tea Review 111: Yunnan Roundup

Yunnan Curly Golden Buds
Yunnan Golden Tips
Yunnan Black Needle
Tea Trekker

Yunnan Top Grade
Mighty Leaf

Yunnan Golden Curls
Adagio

Let's all join hands for a moment and sing the praises of black tea - something I never waste an opportunity to do. Yes, that's right - black tea. The old warhorse of the tea drinking world. If I had to choose just one type of tea to drink for the rest of my life (assuming that it's top quality stuff) I'd probably go with black.

My point, as I've noted in these pages before, is that a great black tea, at least for my money, can easily hold its own with any of the other types. Of the black teas, my favorite is probably Assam, but lately I've been discovering the delights of the Chinese variety known as Keemun. And, of course, there's Yunnan, yet another type of Chinese black tea.

I've been fortunate enough over the past few weeks to get my hands on a number of Yunnan samples. Yeah, life's hard. Here are some thoughts.

Tea Trekker (X3)
This was the first time I had the chance to taste any tea from Tea Trekker, but I hope it won't be the last. Of the three Yunnan samples I tried, Curly Golden Buds was the least impressive, but only by comparison with the other two varieties.

Next on the list was Black Needle, which had a very smooth, rich flavor and which definitely made me sit up and take notice. But they both paled (so does everything on this page) in comparison with Golden Tips, which I'd rank right up with the best black teas I've ever tasted. To say that it was bursting with flavor is probably something of a cliché, but it's true. I can't imagine how you could top this one.

Mighty Leaf Yunnan Top Grade
A respectable entry from Mighty Leaf. As they put it, "Black tea from China, Yunnan Top Grade, is one of the finest and noble Chinese black teas hailing from the cloud-veiled mountains of the Yunnan province. Nick-named the "mocha of teas", Yunnan Top Grade black tea boasts beautiful large, golden-tipped leaves, a sensual aroma and a rich, smooth flavor with a touch of fruit and malt."

Adagio Golden Curls
Golden Curls is part of Adagio's new Maestro line and is an interesting variety. It's one of the more unusual Yunnan teas I've tasted thus far, with a mild, offbeat flavor that wasn't quite like the typical Yunnan tea and which almost had a kind of creamy taste. Good on its own but perhaps not for those looking for the standard Yunnan flavor profile.

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Chicago Tea Garden First to Import New Zealand Tea

Chicago Tea Garden First to Import New Zealand Tea to the USA
(from a press release)

Tea lovers in the United States will have their first chance to try New Zealand’s only tea, Zealong, beginning on June 29, 2010, when Chicago Tea Garden makes it available to its retail and wholesale customers.

Zealong began in 1996 when its owners planted imported Taiwanese seedlings on their New Zealand farm. Only 130 of the original 1500 imports survived the strict 10-month quarantine period, and from these hearty plants, over 1,000,000 tea bushes now grow on Zealong’s 120 acre farm.

Zealong is a fresh, floral oolong with tremendous staying power: Drinkers can expect to get 8 steeps from each pot of tea brewed. Zealong is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or sprays, and is picked and processed on a farm and tea processing facility certified as meeting the ISO22000 food safety management standard. The result is a tea that is not only delicious, but that is unmatched for purity.

Zealong Oolong will be available for sale on Chicago Tea Garden’s website beginning June 28, 2010.The Chicago Tea Garden also welcomes wholesale inquiries from retailers.

For more information on Zealong New Zealand Oolong tea and Chicago Tea Garden, click here.

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Loose Tea Company Launches Latest Teaware Innovation

Loose Tea Company Launches Latest Teaware Innovation, Steep & Chill, to Make Gourmet Iced Tea at Home
(from a press release)

The Tea Spot, Inc. announces the launch of Steep & Chill, a gourmet iced iced tea maker, the latest extension to their Steepware line of tea accessories. The Steep & Chill allows people to make and serve premium iced tea without diluting it. This modern iced tea pitcher features a borosilicate glass body, large volume loose leaf tea infuser, and a solid ice tube freezer core. Its large volume tea infuser allows the steeping of loose leaf tea (and tea bags) with ease. The solid ice tube core then replaces the infuser, and keeps your pre-chilled beverages cold for hours without diluting the flavor.

The Steep & Chill makes 1 quart (32 oz) of gourmet iced tea. All components are BPA-free and dishwasher safe. It is available in three colors: Black, Clementine, and Lemon Meringue. This iced tea maker is a summertime necessity for tea lovers. Andrea Doenges, Sales Manager at The Tea Spot, stated, “We previewed the Steep & Chill at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas two weeks ago with overwhelming response, resulting in pre-orders that will be shipping this week across the US & Canada. The timing couldn’t be better for this hot summer release.” With a suggested retail price of $44.95, it is being launched online with a limited-time promotional discount of 20% off through July 4th, 2010 at their online tea store, theteaspot.com.

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Tea Mastery, Pursuing Your Journey Into Tea

Tea Mastery, Pursuing Your Journey Into Tea - More Than Just a Book
(from a press release)

Tea Mastery, Pursuing Your Journey Into Tea, a 190-page book, has been published by the American Tea Masters Association. The book and accompanying tea samples are perfect for enhancing one’s knowledge and experience of tea in preparation for opening a tea business or expanding an existing establishment. Or perhaps one’s interest is in mastering tea for their own personal satisfaction. Either way, this book and tea samples will stimulate the reader’s passion for teas from around the world.

The expertise gained from reading this book and evaluating the tea samples may be self-sufficient. “If you want to take what you learn to the next level, you have the option of pursuing the Certified Tea Professional designation from the comfort of your home,” said Kroll. More information on certification is available in the book.

Tea Mastery, Pursuing Your Journey Into Tea is available from the association for $195, plus shipping and handling. It is being sold only in the U.S. and Canada. To order a personal copy, including the 38 tea samples and 100 extra Tea Evaluation Forms, click here.

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Xtreme Tea Drinking Competition

Did you know that Stoke-on-Trent was the World Capital of Ceramics? Me neither. To draw attention to this fact the Stoke-on-Trent Tourism people are sponsoring an Xtreme Tea Drinking competition.

As they put it, "Send us a photograph of you drinking your cup of tea out of a Stoke-on-Trent mug in somewhere unusual. Maybe you will be up a mountain, having a picnic in a desert, on a bungee jump, at a summer festival, enjoying time at your favourite place... the possibilities are endless! The more unusual the better!"

For more info, including a list of prizes, go to the competition web site.

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Extreme Tea Drinking

Gives a whole new dimension to the phrase high tea.



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James Norwood Pratt Muses On Tea

If you know anything about tea then chances are you learned some of it from James Norwood Pratt, who has been writing about fine teas for several decades now - long before most people knew that such a thing existed. At The Atlantic recently, Pratt reminisced on how tea fit into his life and how he evolved from being a wine writer to one of the more prominent experts in the world of tea. Read all about it here.

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Spirit of Yixing Tea Ware Exhibit

Ah Leon: “Memories of Elementary School” and the Spirit of Yixing Tea Ware
(from a press release)

Pomona, CA, AMOCA presents Ah Leon: ‘Memories of Elementary School” and the Spirit of Yixing Tea Ware, on exhibit from July 10 through September 25, 2010.

AMOCA presents Ah Leon, an international contemporary artist from Taiwan who merges Chinese Yixing traditions with his signature wood-textured trompe l’oeil style to form illusionistic installations. Originally trained as a painter at the National Academy of Fine Art in Taipei, Ah Leon became a master of the traditional Yixing style teapot; hand-built and unglazed in the prized purple clay stoneware from the southern part of Jiangsu Province in East China, where Chinese teapot production began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE).

Ah Leon is well known for his installation of the Bridge, his most famous 68-foot handmade clay structure. His latest work on exhibit at AMOCA is titled, Memories of Elementary School, an installation of dilapidated school desks with his wood-like stoneware technique. Inspired by rustic Taiwanese wooden furniture, Ah Leon comments that “wood, much like clay itself, tells many stories like an ancient footprint.” Ah Leon’s installation emphasizes the surrealism of what it’s like to return to the past with an adult perspective. The desks personify the friends of his past; people from his home who have come back for reunion after 30 or 40 years to find the desks have aged or bear the same marks as those who once occupied them.

The Spirit of Yixing Tea Ware is part two of the exhibition displaying 100 Yixing teapots from the 18th century to the present. Some of these unglazed teapots were made to look like gourds, eggplant, or bamboo, and many have fanciful spouts and handles, often shaped to resemble dragons, frogs, or other transformative creatures. Interwoven with the ceramic teapots is the historic significance of tea culture, trade, and symbolism. These traditional variations are juxtaposed against the work of Richard Notkin, another contemporary ceramic artist known for his series of unglazed stoneware teapots which are reminiscent of Yixing wares circa 1500 AD to the present.

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Drink Tea...Get a Job!

The Tea Council of the USA "Sip of Success" Dream Job Contest Offers Work Experience and Global Adventure to One Lucky College Graduate
(from a press release)

Almost two million college graduates are unemployed and a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts companies will hire 22% fewer graduating seniors than they did last year. The Tea Council of the USA, Inc. is doing its share to help struggling college grads navigate the brutal job market. Its "Sip of Success" contest offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a recent grad to prepare for a great career and experience a unique and thrilling adventure on tea plantations in India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and the USA. College grads can create a two-minute video showing their passion for tea and knowledge of its many health benefits, for a chance to win this exciting prize.

This year's partners will include The Tea Board and the Tea Research Association of India, The Tea Board and the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, as well as The Tea Board and the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. The winner will intern in all three host countries, as well as in the US.

One lucky college graduate will embark on the international internship mid-October of this year, with a tea tour of Darjeeling and Assam, India, the second largest global tea producer following China. The winner will remain in Assam to begin a 6-week intensive training program, after which he or she will travel to Sri Lanka for another leg of the internship, and then on to Kenya for the final week, returning to the US in late December, 2010. Sri Lanka and Kenya are the world's two leading tea exporters.

To top off the experience, in early January, 2011, the winner will participate in the US portion of the Dream Job internship at SalonTea, under the tutelage of nationally known tea entrepreneur Tracy Stern.

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Image: Tea Council of the USA

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