Reminder that Gong Fu Tea Service is being offered in the shop. See below for details!! |
|
Hello to you all and I hope that everything continues to be well!
The first day of autumn is Tuesday 9/22 and I have been extremely busy in the shop preparing for the upcoming season. This is my favorite time of year and I always look forward to the change in the light, the still warm days and cool nights, and the flavors of harvest. I usually wait until the first day of autumn to bring in the seasonal teas, but they will be available this Thursday 9/17 so that you can have some on hand to ring in the new season! All of your favorites are returning and the complete list is outlined toward the bottom of the newsletter below, along with some other goodies that will be arriving :)
Many of you may have heard of "Purple Tea" - either you have enjoyed some of ours or you have purchased from another tea purveyor. There is a lot of misunderstanding in the marketplace regarding this tea, so the focus of this month's newsletter is to break down these unique teas and dispel any myths surrounding them.
All shop operating procedures that were communicated in prior newsletters remain in effect and have been included below for your reference, in case you haven't seen them - they are also posted on our shop website www.infuseteabarny.com. Traffic at the shop has been increasing and, unfortunately, so is the need for people to wait in line outside. Due to the personalized nature of your shop experience and the need to follow COVID-19 guidelines, all transactions take longer to process and I am not able to triage each person walking in the door or multi-task in the way that I used to. I work fast, but everything takes time to prepare and pre-ordering the bulk of your loose teas for pick up is the best way to shorten your wait time and the lines. Please note that I am currently working on changes to shop policies for when the upcoming busy fall and holiday seasons arrive, along with the colder and inclement weather. These upcoming changes will be communicated in the October newsletter and on the facebook page Infuse Tea Bar by The Pleasures of Tea, and they will be posted on the website as well. So please look out for them as I want to ensure all policies are communicated to eliminate any disappointing experiences for you.
We finally launched our new website for the online shop www.pleasuresoftea.com so that everyone can place an order (including those of you using Apple devices). Thank you for the pre-orders and orders to be shipped and also for the feedback that you have been providing. I am happy to hear that you find the new website functional and easy to navigate. We are currently working on fixing a bug where, unfortunately, the comments that many of you inputted into the Comments Section (as I requested) did not come through. We thought we had gotten the issue fixed last week, as some comments were then coming through. But alas, this is not the case and we are again working with the company to get the issue resolved. A modified procedure is outlined below until we can get the issue fixed.
Also, please note that I am very behind in emails at the moment and am requesting that all (pre-)orders go through the website. I get about 300 emails each day and it has been taking me several days to find the time to reply to them. I apologize beforehand for the delay.
I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you all much health and delicious tea!
-- Kristine
|
|
"Purple Tea"
There is a lot of misunderstanding about "Purple Tea" in the marketplace and, unfortunately, many companies use hype and marketing to sell these unique teas. Since I offer four of these teas in the shop, I figured this would be a great opportunity to discuss them and sort through the (mis)information that you may have come across.
The first point to discuss is that "Purple Tea" is not one tea, nor is it a style of tea like black tea or green tea. In fact, there are several different varieties and cultivars of the tea plant Camellia sinensis that are used as the base for "Purple Tea". Some of these are naturally occurring varieties that have adapted naturally to their environment over time and others are cultivars that have been developed through breeding and hybridization. Most of the naturally occurring varieties originated in China and they are called Zi Cha, meaning "Purple Tea" or "Purple Bud" - a distinction is not always made between them. One thing in common with these varieties and cultivars is that the purplish leaves result from the anthocyanins that are present. Anthocyanins are a type of antioxidant that are also responsible for the purple and blue colors in blueberries, eggplants, and other fruits and vegetables in this color spectrum. The resulting liquor from infusing the leaves is a purplish-grey.
It is impossible to know all of the different "Purple Teas" that exist, but here are the ones with which I am currently familiar.
-
One of the naturally occurring varieties in China is Ye Sheng. It is a wild-growing variety that is also known as Camellia sinensis assamica var. dehongensis. Traditionally the leaves are processed and pressed into Sheng Pu-er cakes; however, tea makers in Yunnan have been experimenting with these leaves, crafting small quantities of black and white teas that age well and develop a lovely complexity.
-
Another naturally occurring variety is the Purple Bud, which is also a variant of the assamica type of tea plant. This variety is also wild growing in the Yunnan Province, but a very small amount is also cultivated.
- A third naturally occurring variety is also called Purple Bud, but this one is indigenous to the Wu Yi Mountain Region in the Fujian Province of China. It is mentioned in historical texts as a highly prized tea.
-
One of the Chinese cultivars is Zi Juan or "Purple Beauty". The original cultivar was developed in the 1960's in a research center in Yunnan Province and it was forgotten until its rediscovery in the 1990's. This cultivar is a hybridization of the Purple Bud variety from Wu Yi with Camellia sinensis assamica.
-
Another purple leaf cultivar is the one produced by Kenyan researchers in the 1980’s from the Camellia sinensis assamica type of the tea plant.
The raw leaf material harvested from each of the different varieties and cultivars is then processed into the tea types we are familiar with - mostly, black, green, white, and Pu-er. There is no "Purple Tea" type that is characterized by how the leaves are processed.
We have four different purple leaf teas and the links are provided here if you would like to read about each tea.
I hope you will try these uniquely crafted, specialty teas during your next visit to the shop or our online shop, if you haven't already!
|
|
Shop Procedures
Normal shop hours resumed in June and so did browsing (with a mask). Current hours and policies can always be found on our shop website www.infuseteabarny.com and they are as follows:
Thursdays through Saturdays 11:00-5:00
Sundays 11:00-4:00
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 is no longer an option. These teas will need to be taken to go or enjoyed at the few tables and chairs that are set up outside on the sidewalk, weather permitting.
Pre-orders are strongly encouraged to be placed in the online shop at www.pleasuresoftea.com. Please provide at least 24-hours notice, if possible, so that we may have your order ready when you arrive. In order to abide by social distancing requirements, a limited number of patrons will be permitted in our small shop at a given time. Given the increasing traffic in the shop, 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 or while your order is being prepared. 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.
Important (Pre)-Ordering Info:
-
Some of you have mentioned that the new website is not coming up on your computer. Some of your computers have cached the old website, preventing the new website from appearing. If this is the case, please refresh the page in your browser and your computer should then be able to get to the new website instead of viewing the information that was stored on your computer.
-
Please indicate the anticipated day and time of pick-up in the Comments Section on the cart page. This tremendously helps with workflow so that your order will be ready when you arrive. Even though we are having an issue with the comments coming through at the moment, please continue to add them as requested so that we can continue to identify when the issue is arising. In addition, please forward your order confirmation with the same information included in the Comments section to kristine@infuseteabarny.com. This will ensure that I do receive your request and any additional information that you include with your order.
- If looking to pick up an order on Thursdays, please plan on a pick up time after noon to ensure there is enough time for it to be pulled together.
- For those of you placing orders for pick up and do not plan to add anything at the shop and plan to pay with a credit card, please input your credit card info at the time you place your order for a quicker check out.
- For those of you placing orders for pick up and you plan to pay with cash or add items at the shop, please select the "Pay when picking up order" payment option so everything can be processed as one order.
- As a reminder, most of our teas have been added to the website and a few other items. We continue to add items weekly, so please mention in the comments if you don't see a particular item that you would like to include in your order. White and Pu-er/Dark Teas and the functional herbs are still being added to the online shop.
- Once I finish preparing your order for pick up, an automatic notification will be emailed to you to let you know that it is ready for whenever is convenient for you to stop by.
|
|
Gong Fu Tea Service
Just a reminder that Gong Fu Tea Service may still be enjoyed at the bar, but we may need to suspend this service as traffic continues to increase. Any updates regarding this service will be communicated. 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. 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 Gong Fu menu will be available for only another two weeks as follows:
- 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! :)
|
|
Autumn Teas Are Almost Here!
Your favorite flavors of fall will be returning next week on Thursday 9/17. Apple Molasses Black Tea, Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black Green & Yerba Mate Blend, Maple Walnut Green Tea, Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Creme Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane, and our house-blended Mulling Spice Organic Herbal Tisane.
Also arriving at the shop this week are Pumpkin Cinnamon Macarons!! And Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cranberry Walnut Povitica should be arriving the following week.
We also received a fresh delivery of scone mixes! Pumpkin Spice, Maple, and Apricot have returned and Lavender White Chocolate is also restocked. The new flavors Lemon and Currant have been added to the offering. We also restocked Lemon Curd, a deliciously fresh, sweet, and tart topping for a freshly baked scone. All scone mixes and lemon curd are available in the shop and online.
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
