Series 1
★ Sold Out (Sorry!) ★
Ceylon
You grew up next door to this tea. It would sit on the porch, talking on the cordless phone, and despite its old sweats and unkempt hair you had a hard time taking your eyes off it while you mowed the lawn. Your trips down the block to the mailbox had to be perfectly timed. You grew up, moved away, and made a name for yourself but every now and then a song surfaces on the random shuffle and it all comes back. A Google search yields nothing.
We like this black Ceylon tea best when it’s brewed a little strong. Heat your water to a roaring boil and use a heaping teaspoon of tea for each cup. Let it steep for up to 4 minutes. This tea is great with milk and sugar, if that’s what you’re into.
Dragonwell
You arrive at the edge of a glade, in the shadow of a tall forest, and the path you have followed twists out of sight into the ancient woods. The quick breath of your steed reveals that he too has detected the malice that surely awaits you. With one hand on the reins, the other gripping the worn leather of your sword handle, you pass the first line of trees. Almost at once you become aware of a stone wall, ornately carved, nearly covered in vines that parallels your path. There is no wind, but your nostrils are greeted with the smell of decay, ageless and cloying. Soon, however, it is replaced by something unexpected — yes, I sense it too — chocolate, followed by buttered corn and peas. Mom must be home! And she’s making dinner!
For a satisfying experience, brew this Chinese green tea using water at about 160 degrees. You can get there one of two ways: heat your water to a boil and let it sit for a couple minutes before you pour it over your leaves, or just heat it until it starts to steam. The choice is yours. Be careful not to steep it for more than 2 and a half minutes. Hang onto the leaves as this tea is great for a second or even third infusion — we usually double the steeping time with each additional round.
Nepal
Grown high in the mountains of Nepal this tea wears faded dungarees and three days of stubble. It loves to talk about the world at elevation while knocking back pints of pale ale. It has no degree — it doesn’t need one. There is nothing it needs to know that can’t be learned from Whitman and Kipling. While the fire dies, after the others have gone home, it tells of its youth: “After the rains ended the air was intoxicating. The views, always dizzying, became more so. I would sit on a favorite rock for hours in the mornings, watching as the mists below receded and gave way to the startling colors of spring. Now, as I search for words to describe the sensation of those days, only one thing compares: falling in love.”
This black tea from Nepal is great in the afternoon, but it’s really an anytime tea. It has a bright, amber brew that we enjoy without milk or sugar. Use one heaping teaspoon of tea per cup and bring your water to a roaring boil. Steep for 3 minutes tops.