Apero Spritz from Davids Tea. . . .

by Stephenia

Every year Davids Tea releases a Cocktail Collection with teas designed to be mixed with spirits in summertime party drinks. I love the idea of these teas! If you are like me and don’t drink spirits these teas are equally as fun made with sparkling water or simply served over ice.

One of the teas being offered this summer is Apero Spritz, a fruit infusion featuring bitter orange rind. The smell of this tea is amazing, the vibrant orange and passionfruit really stand out. I steeped this at 212 degrees for 5 minutes and served it over ice. It steeps up a beautiful deep reddish-orange color, talk about a pretty tea for a party! The first sip is faintly familiar to me, similar to a passionfruit juice drink I have had in the past. This tea is sweet and tropical tasting, the passionfruit is very rich and flavorful. The back end of the taste has a lovely bitterness, much like the bitterness one encounters when drinking grapefruit juice. I would not steep this longer than 5 minutes as I feel that the bitterness could become magnified with longer steep times.

Davids Tea released a You Tube video showing how to make several mixed drinks with this tea. They all look good but this tea is equally tasty prepared simply as an iced tea.

Overall I love this tea! I think that the bitter note really adds a unique depth making this tea stand out from the normal summer tropical teas soon to be released in a few months.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Fruit
Where to Buy:  Davids Tea
Description

What to do when you’re lounging in the late afternoon sun? Sip this refreshing apéritif-inspired fruit infusion – a sweet and vibrant sunset-coloured blend with grown-up notes of bitter orange rind. It’s light, juicy and will leave you feeling bubbly all over. For an elegant treat, serve it chilled in champagne flutes with a delicious assortment of cheese and fresh fruits. Cheers!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Stephenia

Hello there! My name is Stephenia and I am from Illinois. I am in my late 30's and am married to a wonderful husband who encourages my tea addiction! I have an Accounting degree but decided to become a stay at home mom once our youngest was born. Tea has always been a part of my life. I grew up drinking basic Lipton black tea bags made as sun tea. My tea preferences have evolved a lot over the years however I still have a soft spot for basic orange pekoe! I love all types of tea but my favorites include chai, all black teas, white tea and rooibos. In addition to my tea passion I also enjoy cooking, photography, planning and travel.

This post was posted in DAVIDsTEA, Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Edith Wharton blend from Simpson and Vail

by MrsPremise

This lovely tea has been sitting on my tea shelf for a while, just waiting for the right day.  Well today was the day. This darjeeling blend was created in honor of author Edith Wharton at the Simpson and Vail tea shop.

I don’t know what it is, but darjeeling and earl grey teas always make me think of ladylike tea parties with finger sandwiches and sugar cubes.  This darjeeling blend is crisp and and could fit into the high tea setting, but it also has a lot more to bring to your cup.

In both scent and taste this blend is pleasantly bright and playful with plenty of grapefruit citrus.  This tartness feels satisfying like having the perfect biting witty comment ready to go on your tongue.  Beyond the grapefruit there is a bit of ginger heat, quickly followed by the smooth, vanilla tones of the mallow blossoms at the end.

Bold but ladylike, sharp but playful.  This is a great tea for that favorite smart and sassy friend in your life, or for any literary tea aficionado.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:

For our Edith Wharton blend we pay homage to her descriptions of the undercurrents rippling through fashionable society. We have combined a refined, high-grown Darjeeling black tea with a little passionfruit and citrus flavor, a dash of spice and lovely flower petals to create a taste that is smooth and elegant. Perfect for an afternoon tête-à-tête.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

MrsPremise

Growing up, I drank herbal teas like fresh ginger tea during New England's harsh winters and iced blueberry tea during its humid summers. Over time, I was tempted into trying a wider variety of loose leaf teas by the fandom-themed blends available online. I have since gone on to design my own blends, and I greatly enjoy drafting up flavor ideas and drawing tea labels. When I'm not thinking about tea I can be found reading novels and comic books, playing video games, or watching movies; my favorite genres being history, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy. Generally, I prefer bold teas: spicy chais, rich black teas, even smoky lapsang souchong on occasion. But I have also dabbled in herbal rooibos, flavored oolongs, and traditional matcha. I'm glad to be expanding my palette by tasting and reviewing new teas and blends. Find me on Steepster: http://steepster.com/A2shedsjackson Fandom blends: http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=292149

This post was posted in Darjeeling, Simpson & Vail

Passion Peach Tea from Teavery. . . .

by SuperStarling

This tea managed to work its way into the bottom of my tin, lying in wait until the perfect moment. Today was such a moment. I’ve been vaguely dizzy and tired all day (I think my medication levels might be wonky) and drank this with lunch, iced.

Boom. Back on point. Full precision. This is my sipping companion in its Giant 30 Oz Water Bottle of Super Hydration and Daylong Peeing. I am very awake and able to concentrate again. My typing is loud. I am a laser-beam of focus.

This blend is a zippy peach black with saucy berry and zesty citrus notes. There’s something about it that sticks in the mouth even after you’ve swallowed. Something sweet. I think it’s the rose hips or passionfruit. Oh, and the black tea. There’s a lot of caffeine in this. It may give you a heart attack. But you’ll love it.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Teavery
Description

Teavery offers four monthly teas each month in their subscription plan. Check out what all they have to offer in the link below.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

SuperStarling

"Hey, everybody! I'm Leah, a graphic designer from Pennsylvania, United States. I live with my husband and rescue mutt in a house with colorful walls. I love fonts, colors, animals, flowers, novels, illustration, geeking out, and -- obviously! -- tea. I've only been heavily into tea for about a year, but I've found I tend to prefer loose blended black dessert teas. I normally drink them hot western style without anything added; if I add in some vanilla almond milk or honey, I promise I'll mention it! When I'm not blogging here, I'm blogging at leahlucci.com/starling or posting to Instagram (super_starling), so come say hi!"

This post was posted in Black Tea, Teavery