Reminder that Gong Fu Tea Service is now being offered in the shop. See below for details!!
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Hello to you all and I hope that everything continues to be well! I wish you a Happy July 4th :)
Summer is in full swing and our shop is open! The re-opening details and shop updates were communicated in June's newsletter and I included them below for your reference. All of our summer teas are available for your summer hydration needs, so stop in to see what we have in store for you. New harvest origin teas are on the way, although they are taking much longer to get to the US given the current COVID-19 situation. I will be sure to let you know as soon as they arrive, as we have some really exciting new teas that will become part of our menu. Some new teas that have arrived are from the Lakyrsiew Estate, which is located in a remote region of India. These awesome and rare teas are the subject of this month's newsletter below, so be sure to read all about them and explore them during your next visit to the shop.
We are getting very close to the launch of our new website for the online shop and everyone (including those of you using Apple devices) will be able to place an order through it - YAY! It will also finally include our entire tea menu of 500+ teas and tisanes, including more detailed information about each of our 200+ origin teas. And we'll have our most popular teaware, other infuser items, and some other goodies there too. Stay tuned for details on the launch! In conjunction with the launch of the new website, please note that the email
kristine@pleasuresoftea.com
will no longer be a valid email. I get so much spam email to that address that I have decided to eliminate it and only use the
kristine@infuseteabarny.com
email for now. I know the majority of you have switched over to use the new email, but I wanted to make a special mention that the old email will no longer be valid - just in case.
Please note that the shop will be closed Saturday 7/4 and Thursday 7/16.
I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you all much health and delicious tea!
-- Kristine
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Lakyrsiew Estate Teas
I
am excited to announce that we have teas (yes, plural) from the Lakyrsiew Estate back in stock! As some of you know, I used to offer a wonderful black tea from this garden, but the wholesaler I was purchasing it from stopped their operations. I've been working for almost two years on developing a direct relationship with this garden in the mountainous Meghalaya Region of India and I'm so pleased to be able to offer these truly small batch, artisanal teas once again.
Meghalaya is a region in northeastern India that is located just south of the larger and more well-known tea-producing region of Assam. It is a mountainous region with scenic valleys and mountain plateaus. The climate in Meghalaya is variable, depending on the landscape; however, it does have the distinction of being able to claim that the “wettest place on earth” resides within its borders.
Lakyrsiew Estate is an award-winning garden that was established in 2000
in the southern part of the state on the banks of Umiam Lake in the Khasi Hills. It is located
at an elevation of 3,700 feet and was planted with
locally-grown tea stock that was planted and then abandoned 170 years ago by the East India Company. Heavy rains bathe the plants during the monsoon season and lake mist protects them during the dry season.
This remote garden specializes in micro lot batches, although they do produce some blended batches, and they produce only about 4,000 pounds of tea every year. Micro lot batches are limited in quantity, unique and rare teas that are tracked every step of the way from planting to harvest. The leaves are not combined into larger batches for processing, as is the usual practice, so that the terroir and distinctive character of each batch will be preserved. The folks at Lakyrsiew have planted three different tea cultivars - AV2, BB157, and T78 - in different areas of their garden. For the micro lot batches, they have tracked the location of the plot in the garden, the cultivar planted, date of plant, date of harvest, and processing steps. All teas are harvested and processed by hand.
I received samples of twelve of their black teas and three of their green teas. It was a very tough job to cup all 15 samples, but someone's got to do it! ;) The challenge was to select one of each - a true challenge indeed, as they were all wonderfully crafted and exhibited their own unique character. I believe the black tea is even better than the one I used to purchase through the wholesaler and I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback on these teas.
- For the black tea I selected one of the second flush micro lots crafted from AV2 cultivar tea plants that were planted in 2005. This particular cultivar is very delicate and it has a beautiful, long and slender leaf shape and pronounced silvery buds. The beautiful, multi-colored leaves and lots of bud unfurl to yield an aromatic, rich and complex, medium-bodied infusion with fresh herb, hay, fruity, and sweet notes and an essence of floral and spice.
- For the green tea I selected one of the blends crafted from a combination of all three cultivars that were planted in 2006. Roughly equal amounts of each cultivar were used to create this blended batch and the leaves receive a light pan-roasting before being rolled and then going through two drying steps. The beautifully twisted leaves with some bud unfurl to yield a balanced, viscous, medium-bodied infusion with umami, fruity, and sweet notes and a slight toasty finish.
Both teas are available in the shop and I hope you enjoy the wonderful craftsmanship and your "travels" to Meghalaya as you sip and savor them!
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Shop Updates & Details
Normal shop hours resumed last month and so did browsing (with a mask). Current hours are:
Thursdays through Saturdays 11:00-5:00
Sundays 11:00-4:00
*Please note that the shop will be closed on Saturday 7/4 and Thursday 7/16.*
Pre-orders will no longer be required, but strongly encouraged with 24-hours notice, if possible, so that we may have your order ready when you arrive. In order to abide by social distancing requirements, there will a limited number of patrons that will be permitted in our small shop at a given time. It would be a good idea to pre-order the bulk of your order and then browse and add any additional items at the shop. This will speed up the processing of your order and reduce any potential of needing to wait outside if the shop is busy when you arrive. Waiting outside is not ideal...unless of course, it's a beautiful day...but I am trying to find the balance to still serve you in the most effective, efficient, accurate, and timely manner possible.
Orders may continue to be placed in the online shop at
www.pleasuresoftea.com
(orders cannot be completed if being placed with an Apple device) or by emailing
kristine@infuseteabarny.com
. If emailing your order, please indicate the teas, quantity, and the anticipated day and time of pick-up.
Due to social distance requirements, adjustments to our tea service needed to be implemented. While our complete menu of prepared teas and small bites remains available, enjoying these at the bar will no longer be an option. These teas will need to be taken to go or enjoyed at the few tables and chairs that will be set up outside on the sidewalk, weather permitting.
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Gong Fu Tea Service
Just a reminder that Gong Fu Tea Service enjoyed at the bar has become a permanent offering! This Chinese method of tea preparation means "done well" and it requires time and focus, delivering a more aromatic and flavorful infusion than those prepared using the more familiar western method of tea preparation. I am happy to be able to finally incorporate this cultural aspect of tea into the shop and guide you further through your own tea journey.
This is an appointment only service and, at the moment, is limited to two appointments at a time. More may attend if from the same household. Each session lasts one hour and costs $25 paid upon booking. It includes multiple infusions of the tea that you select from the Gong Fu Tea menu and there are 3-7 infusions, depending on the tea selected and as time allows. It also includes a Gong Fu lesson, if you like, so that you may incorporate this method into your own tea ritual at home.
The menu will be crafted and rotated seasonally and will be curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. Our summer menu is now available and the following teas are being prepared Gong Fu:
- Meng Ding China Yellow Tea
- Tai Ping Hou Kui China Green Tea
- Mauna Kea Estate Lava Flow Hawaiian Green Tea
- Glenburn Estate Moonshine Darjeeling India White Tea
- Tie Guan Yin Flowery Anxi China Wulong Tea
- Li Shan Formosa Wulong Tea
- Sumatra Hand-Rolled Indonesia Black Tea
Gong Fu Tea appointments are available:
Thursdays & Fridays - noon through 4:00
Sundays - noon through 3:00
Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays at this time. If you would like to make an appointment for this unique experience, please email
kristine@infuseteabarny.com
or reply to this email. I look forward to preparing tea for you! :)
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Summer Teas are In!
The following popular blends from years past have returned:
Cherry Pineapple Green Tea, Mango Plum Green Tea, Minted Coconut Lime Green Tea, Rooibos Guava Citrus Herbal Tisane, Cherry Pineapple Herbal Tisane, Coconut Fruit Punch Fruit Tisane, Kiwi Peach Fruit Tisane, Pomegranate Lime Fruit Tisane, Raspberry Blackberry Fruit TIsane, Watermelon Fruit Tisane
.
New this year is
Elderflower Strawberry Herbal Tisane
and our house-blended
Lemongrass Spearmint Organic Green Tea
.
Other favorites for summer include
Apricot Black Tea, Peach Black Tea, Peach Grapefruit Decaf Black Tea, Pineapple Lemon Decaf Black Tea, Raspberry Rose Petal Wulong Tea, Rhubarb Wulong Tea, Green Rooibos Chocolate Coconut Organic Herbal Tisane, Green Rooibos Peach Mango Herbal Tisane, Hibiscus Mint Herbal Tisane, Lemon Lime Herbal Tisane, Lemongrass Plum Herbal Tisane, Rhubarb Cooler Fruit Tisane.
Please note that the majority of the new summer teas and others listed above have not been added to our online shop at
www.pleasuresoftea.com
. If you place your order online and would like any of the above-mentioned teas added, please list the tea and quantity in the comment section at checkout. There are lots of tasty summer-like teas in the online shop, so feel free to browse and see what appeals to you :)
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106 Main Street
West Sayville, NY 11796
**************************************
500+ Loose Leaf Teas & Herbal Tisanes
Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert
Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism
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