Things have been unique as of late with my family. We are currently experiencing some life changing news and are working on addressing and processing all of this new info we’ve been given. Except for me- who has decided to go on this mad teaware and tea buying spree, which is not necessarily a bad thing- I just have not had the mind set to sit down and actually enjoy what I’ve been buying as of late.
Until this beauty showed up at my door. Empa-Tea is a simple blend of ginger and lemongrass that we’ve seen a few different versions of. Sometimes there is a bit of rose or lavender in the blend but an herbal ginger lemongrass blend is pretty common. This particular blend only has ginger and lemongrass listed in the ingredients on the label (on the website the ingredients also list lime peel, lemon verbena, lime leaves, red peppercorns and sunflower petals) but I am spying some peppercorn along with possibly some citrus peel as well. The name struck me and it seemed like the perfect time to check this blend out.
I prepped this blend a few different ways but my absolute favorite way was to cold brew this blend over night in sparkling water from my Soda Stream. I can’t seem to get enough of it. Bright pops of the ginger and lemongrass really blend well with the citrus undertones and the fresh bubbles of the sparkling water. Our lovely VariaTea creates unique tea concoctions all the time and I thought I’d try my hand with this blend. And so happy I did. Bubbly sweet, spicy, with a citrus note. . .you can’t go wrong. Completely puts the sparkling water flavors you can pick up at the local grocery store to shame or at least a bit.
I did try this blend as both a regular cold brew and brewed hot and all were lovely. The prominent notes that came across with each brewing was the ginger and the lemongrass. The citrus notes were more muted when hot brewed but cold brewed you were able to pick up on those.
Versatile blend and classic flavors, you really can’t go wrong with a solid fresh ginger lemongrass blend like Empa-Tea no matter how you prep it.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Miss TeaSmith
Description
ingredients – Ginger, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Lemon peel, Lime Leaves, Red Peppercorns, Sunflower Petals
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**This tea was sent to the SororiTea Sisters in exchange for a review**
Snooze (Sleepy Tea)/Teapigs
Just the Facts
*Tea Type: Tisane / Herbal
*Region: Not Specified
*Caffeine Level: None
*Ingredients: sweet apple, light lavender, and chamomile.
*Description: apple sweetened tea with a flowery hint.
*Appearance: small dried chamomile and lavender buds with bits of dried apple.
*Brewing Instructions: Temp of 212*F or 100*C. Brew 3-5 minutes.
*Multiple Infusions: No
*Aroma: apples with herbs.
*Color: light champagne
*Tasting Notes: apples, lavender and chamomile.
*Availability: In stock / Sold in Temples (sachets)
The Review
I often find myself drinking herbal tea when I want to remedy an aspect of my life or health. It’s not uncommon for me to pull out a ginger or peppermint tea when a digestive ailment plagues me, and chamomile or lavender to calm. Lately, I have had difficulty regulating my sleep cycle so I was eager to try Snooze Tea by Teapigs. Before I had released the temple, the term used to describe their pyramid shaped tea bags, I had heaped upon it my desperate desire for immediate and a deep recuperative sleep. I know, I imposed sleeping pill expectations that no tea could live up to. However, what I did find was a calming chameleon in a sachet. I use the term chameleon to describe teas with tasting notes that change when a different sweetener or steeping applications is introduced.
I was unable to find the amount of water to be used for their single serve tea temples on the website or packaging. I tend to like a stronger tea which prompted me to use 6 ounces of water heated to 212F or 100C, and the steep time of 5 minutes. The color was that of light champagne and the aroma reminiscent of a farmers market in the south of France. Sweet earthy apples, warm chamomile, and heady lavender wafted from the cup. I pictured myself riding a 1950’s lavender-blue cruiser style bicycle with a wicker basket on the front packed with cheese, bread, and produce. I giggled when I pictured myself falling off the bicycle because I haven’t ridden in over 25 years; so much for that daydream and the now crushed wicker basket.
I parted the brewed tea into three 2 ounce portions and commenced with my tasting. The plain brew had a heavy herbal taste to it that left a minty-medicinal finish; odd, given that I didn’t remember mint being listed amongst the ingredients. The portion sweetened with white sugar had a pronounced pleasant floral aroma and finish. Finally, the remaining portion sweetened with clover honey brought forth an apple crispness and finish. I found both sweetened versions incredibly enjoyable.
While they did not induce sleep, they did calm my mind and spirit. I would not recommend these teas be paired with strong dishes, but they would compliment light fare such as cheese and crackers. Really, any foods where you want to add an apple or herbaceous note. Better yet, drink it alone or try it as a refreshing iced tea on those hot summer days when you want something light but thirst-quenching.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Teapigs
Description
Fancy. Sweet apple, light lavender and a flowery hint.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Beauty Tip: Sage Tea for Grey Hair
When it comes to hair upkeep – I’m not the best or consistent – far from it – actually. On a personal note I have been battling some anxiety issues which have caused me to have scalp issues and I haven’t wanted to color treat my hair the last 8 months. While doing some light research on ‘Grey Hair’ I came across a lot of information about Sage and Tea helping with it. The more I searched it the more I realized there were more and more benefits to combining sage and black tea leaves and using it on your hair and scalp.
To make the basic sage tea all you need is sage leaves and water. But you can personalize the tea rinse by adding other optional ingredients given below.
3-4 sprigs of fresh sage (or 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves)
2 cups water
Optional add-ins:
A handful of fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary (it works with sage to provide richer color)
1 teaspoon black tea (it darkens grey hair as well as improves shine)
1 clove (strengthens hair and enriches the color)
1 teaspoon henna powder (adds reddish tones)
1 tablespoon vinegar (helps fix the color)
How to make:
Place the herbs and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes (keeping covered). Remove from the heat and allow it to steep until cool (2-3 hours). Strain the spent herbs.
You can use the sage tea two ways:
Apply it to freshly washed hair. Work it in from roots to ends. Do Not Rinse. Next, squeeze out the excess liquid and towel dry your hair. Do it 2-3 times a week.
You can also massage sage tonic into your scalp and hair every other night.
It takes 2-3 weeks to get rid of the majority of your grey hair.
Once the hair is sufficiently dark, use the rinse weekly to maintain your color.
I haven’t put this to the long term test as of yet but I hope to soon! It seems easy enough and oh-so-NATURAL! No nasty chemicals!
Sage tea is a great rinse for grey hair, but you can also use it as a hair refresher or moisturizer. If you work out a lot, consider using sage tea to replace your shampoo. Being an astringent, it prevents clogged hair follicles as well as revitalizes your hair.
As you may already know – Sage is a common spice used in kitchens all over the world. The Latin name, Salvia officinalis, means “to save,” reflecting the curative properties the herb was believed to possess. Sage is a traditional topical treatment for graying hair, and the herb may promote new hair growth, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Sage has antibiotic, anti-allergic and antiseptic properties and is a source of magnesium, zinc, potassium, and vitamins B and C. Before using sage as a beauty treatment, consult your doctor to diagnose the cause of your thinning hair, as it could be the result of a health condition.
If you have already tried this – let us know about your experiences in comments!
Naughty or Anise/Tiesta Tea
I had a nice, big sample pack of this one, full of juicy chunks of fruit and whole spices. The thing is, I am not a big fan of dried fruit teas. I drink mostly real TEA so I have put off trying this. But today was abnormally warm and it seemed like a good time to try it.
The reason I don’t like fruit tea usually is that it either has almost no flavor, like someone whispered the name of a fruit at the water, or they add hibiscus for color and flavor and it all ends up just being a variation on hibiscus – tart and sassy.
This one came out SO DIFFERENT.
I used the whole pouch and steeped it twice, because I wanted a large pitcher to drink with our evening meal. I did sweeten it lightly with cane sugar. I added chilled water and ice and oh my goodness, it was great!
It had FLAVOR! You could really taste the fruit and the spices were so well matched to bring out the best in it. I like anise, and it was just the right amount for me with beautiful whole stars in the blend. The cinnamon brought out the apple pie vibe they talk about. This is from the “Relaxer” tea line, and who could be tense with an apple pie?
Bottom line – I loved it and would definitely love to have it again.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Description
Star anise, cinnamon and almond blend together for a spunky twist on apple pie. Being naughty has never tasted so nice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
**by purchasing this product via the pic/link below, you will be supporting the SororiTea Sisters in their mission to support tea companies, big and small with the Amazon Affiliate Program. All monies collected from this program will be used to purchase teas for the SororiTea Sisters to review or to assist with shipping costs**
Unicorn Dream/DAVIDs Tea
Law school has meant no time and not much spare money. That means that not only have I not had a lot of time to write reviews but I haven’t really been buying tea. So, even if I wanted to write a review, a lot of my teas are so old that I don’t think my reviews would have been fair assessments of the teas. However, like so many of you, I am stuck at home riding out this coronavirus storm which means my schedule has just opened up. Plus, a wonderful friend of mine has shared plenty of teas with me and I have splurged a little so I also have new teas in my cupboard that I can review while they are still in their prime. One such new tea is a super cute blend from DAVIDsTEA called Unicorn Dream.
First of all, while some little girls (and boys) like princesses or mermaids, I was in the unicorn camp. Literally obsessed with unicorns. And while I am older now, I am still a unicorn fan. For my 25th birthday (a few years back now), I had a unicorn-themed sweet table complete with balloon trees. When my sister placed the order for the balloons, the party store thought she made a mistake and actually said it was for a birthday for a 2 and 5 year old, not a 25 year old. Basically, I am sharing this story to make it clear that I am 100% the target audience for this tea.
DAVIDsTEA doubles down on the unicorn fantasy with one of the prettiest blends I have seen in a while. This comes complete with gold sugar pearls, mini marshmallows, pink heart sprinkles, and pink and white unicorn sprinkles, all on top of a colorful fruity/herbal base. It has butterfly pea flowers in it too which means when it brews up, it is a lovely purple color. It really is quite awesome and would probably appeal to the kid in everyone on looks alone.
Looks aren’t everything when it comes to tea though and thankfully it delivers on flavor as well. It is meant to be cotton candy flavored tea. I like to cold brew it because in addition to a berry cotton candy flavor the comes through, it has a marshmallow fluffiness. This is honestly what I imagine a cloud would taste like in a world of unicorns. It is sweet and fruity and definitely candy-like. I might be a bit bias but I genuinely believe this is the perfect tea for any kid, whether they be a young child or a 28-year-old kid at heart like myself. It’s nostalgia in a cup and certainly a ray of sunshine in these crazy times!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
Warning: This tea will add some magic to your day. Our caffeine-free fruit infusion is filled with smile-inducing ingredients – from blue butterfly pea, yellow everlasting flowers & pretty pink hibiscus blossoms to unicorn & heart-shaped sprinkles. The result is an enchanting & addictive herbal tea that’s tart and lightly citrusy, with dreamy notes of sweet cotton candy and creamy marshmallow.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
