January 2024 Newsletter

Hello all and Happy New Year! I hope all is well and that you had a lovely holiday season :)

Gong Fu Tea Service will be returning when the shop re-opens on Thursday! Details for this appointment-only service, along with the winter menu are outlined below. In addition, a few tasting workshops will be offered this winter. Details for these workshops are outlined below, as well.

I am busy doing inventory and restocking and blending teas for when the shop re-opens this week. Fall and holiday teas are still available, some in limited supply. All are listed in the New at the Shop section, so grab them before they are gone :)

Our 12th Annual Holiday Raffle winners are Amanda C. and Dee M.! Congrats ladies on your win :)

Here they are redeeming their certificates.

This year begins my seventeen years of being in business. Not really sure where the years have gone! ;) There will be some changes made this year, with the most important one being that my business will be online only after March 31st. I provide a lot more details about this change below, along with a personal note.

Wishing you and your family all the best in 2024!

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Blended up fresh batches of Mount Everest Breakfast Blend Black Tea, Lemon Ginger Mint Organic Herbal Tisane, Nervine Tonic Organic Herbal Tisane and Pleasant Dreams Organic Herbal Tisane! :)

Gong Fu Tea Service

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 offer this cultural aspect of tea and guide you further through your own tea journey.

This is an appointment only, seated service and, at the moment, is limited to four appointments at a time. Each session lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours (allow 2 hours in case it runs long) and costs $30 paid upon booking. It includes multiple infusions of the tea that you select from the Gong Fu Tea menu and there are 4-7 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 is crafted and rotated seasonally and curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. The winter menu is now available:

• Laoshan Village Green Tea - Shandong, China
• Satemwa Estate Antlers White Tea - Malawi
• Ben Shan Medium Roast Wulong Tea - Anxi, Fujian, China
• Wild-Grown Ancient Tree Wulong Tea - Vietnam
• Golden Curls Black Tea - Guangxi, China
• Kanoka Estate Black Tea - Assam, India
• 2013 Shou Pu-er Brick - Yunnan, China

Gong Fu Tea appointment start times are available:

Thursdays - 11:30 through 3:00

Fridays - 11:30 through 3:00

Sundays - 11:30 through 2:00

Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays and the last day for Gong Fu Tea Service will be Sunday 3/24.

If you would like to make an appointment for this unique experience, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or reply to this email and put "Gong Fu" as the subject. Please let me know how many the appointment needs to be made for and the date and start time you are looking to schedule. I look forward to preparing tea for you! :)

Tea Tastings Workshop Schedule

Journey with us on select Saturday evenings for an exploration of tea. Whether it is a fun and unique tasting of a flight of teas or a "foodie" excursion where we pair a few of our favorite things, you will be experiencing a unique, informative, relaxing and interactive adventure - no passport required!

Here are our final in-shop tasting workshops. I am anticipating that they may book quickly, so please do not wait too long to register if you have wanted to attend one:

Newly Found Treasures - February 3rd

Some teas that I purchased in small quantities for tasting workshops that never happened...or maybe just to purchase for myself ;) These teas may or may not make it to the online shop. Join us for the unveiling and exploration!

Just A Few Of My Favorite Teas - February 17th

As many of you know, I do not have a favorite tea - life is just too short and I am on the journey! There are some teas, however, that put me in a happy place more than others. This workshop never would have been on my radar, but it was a request from a few of you.

Tea & Cheese Pairing - March 2nd

Savor four pairings of our specialty origin teas with small-batch, hand-crafted, award-winning artisanal cheeses. Join us for a unique and tasty experience!

Tea & Chocolate Pairing - March 16th

Join us to indulge in four pairings of our specialty origin teas with award-winning, small-batch, hand-crafted, bean-to-bar artisan chocolates. Yum!

The workshop schedule, descriptions, details and policies, will be posted in the 2024 workshops tab at infuseteabarny.com. Workshops begin promptly at 7:00 PM and go to 8:30ish. Feel free to stay on after the workshop to enjoy the highly recommended second infusions of each tea that will be prepared. Cost is $30 per person. Pre-paid registration is required and seating is limited. For questions or to register, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or stop by the shop. I look forward to seeing you in class! :)

As mentioned above, my business will be online only after March 31st. There will be a lot of details and logistics leading up to this date and I will be providing most of them here, along with further updates and details over the next two months. Even though I will be vacating the current location in a few months, I will continue to provide the same quality teas you have come to expect and the service and knowledge, as well, and I hope that you will continue your tea journey with me even though it will no longer be in person.

First, words cannot express my gratitude for your friendship and support of my small business all these years. I must say what an absolute honor and privilege it has been to serve you and travel with you on this journey through tea. Many of you have been with me since before the shop, when I was the traveling "gypsy" tea lady at mall shows, various fairs and festivals around the island, lecturing in your local library, or conducting private tastings for you in your homes or at your organizations. Many more have been to my shop, Infuse Tea Bar, for the past almost eleven years, and many of you have recently become acquainted with my business. This is bittersweet for me and I have tears in my eyes as I write this newsletter and share this news. Tea and my business is my life - it penetrates to my core and I live and breathe it every day. And I am so happy that so many of you have come along on this wild and wonderful journey through tea with me! :) I still cannot believe how many people have walked through the doors of Infuse - tea connoisseurs and many people who were new to tea, people from all walks of life. And we all had one thing in common - tea.

Many of you think that opening a shop was a long time dream of mine, but it wasn't. You see, Infuse came about because I can be an incredibly stubborn woman who doesn't like to be told what to do or that I can't do something ;) The idea of opening a shop happened because I was banned from being an exhibitor at the malls here on Long Island and I was specifically named by Teavana as someone who was no longer allowed to participate in the mall shows. After sharing my ideas of opening a tea shop with several people, some tried talking me out of it because of the cost and risk. While I understood their perspective, I decided to pursue it anyway, especially because I so strongly go with my gut instincts. But truth be told, I didn't know how long Infuse would be open. With a history of a debilitating health condition since I was 18 that left me always feeling unwell and would periodically relapse, causing me to leave jobs that I loved, opening a brick and mortar store was very risky for me due to my own physical limitations. But I decided to move forward, mainly so I would never have to wonder what would have been.

It seems like just yesterday when I was designing the shop, ordering supplies and equipment, and building it with my husband - sometimes until 2:00AM. We built everything - the cabinets (with help from a few of you), the bar and the shelving - and I was so proud to see our hard work and time come to fruition. When I was designing the shop, I knew I wanted it to be an inviting place - like I was welcoming each and every one of you into my home. I wanted to create a space that provided an experience like no other - a place that I would want to go to where there were excellent quality teas and an extensive selection so that I could "travel" anywhere in the world, along with staff that could answer my questions. I knew I wanted it to be heavily focused on tea, Camellia sinensis, and the cultural aspects that have risen around this plant for almost 5,000 years, along with a vast selection of caffeine-free tisanes. I wanted Infuse to be a place where people could come and explore and discover the richness and diversity within tea and tisanes and learn about them, how to appreciate them, and how to incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle. Education has always been a cornerstone of my business and the bar was to be the heart of the tasting workshops where we could explore the various organoleptic experiences with tea and different methods for preparing them. One of my goals has been that everyone learns something new every time they visit my shop - not unreasonable since I have been learning about teas and tisanes for just about 30 years and I'm still learning!

But, as it turns out, Infuse Tea Bar became much more than a tea shop. I am so deeply humbled to have been a part of so many of your lives and you have enabled me to have purpose. Your tremendous support and willingness to go on this journey with me has enabled me to keep the doors open without having to compromise my vision of tea and my mission. You have visited me and happily brought other family members or friends on return visits. And those of you who have moved away or live in other states have included my shop on your itinerary when you come back to LI, or you continue to purchase my teas in the online shop and then share them with your new neighbors and friends. You have included my teas at your milestone or special events. You have celebrated milestones and important events at my shop and we have also grieved. It has become a space for community and where friendships have been made. Many of you have seen Infuse as a sanctuary to escape the stresses of life where you could take the time to just breathe as you immersed yourselves in the aromas of the "sniffing jars", even if only for a short period of time. Some of you have been inspired to tap into your creative spirit while in my shop and some of that creativity hangs on its walls. We have indeed shared much laughter and many tears. We never shied away from conversations - even the topics that shouldn't be discussed in "polite company". Many of you have shared with me over the years what Infuse and my business overall has meant to you and, knowing how my place has impacted you, has driven me to continue to keep the shop open even when it became personally very difficult for me to do so several times over the years. Infuse has truly been a magical place and one that will forever hold a special place in my heart and it is the conversation with each one of you that I will truly miss.

But as one door closes, many more open. Mountains have been calling me for quite a while and several years ago, my husband and I purchased a tranquil plot of land with serene sunrise and sunset views. We will be moving there next year and I will be able to continue my own healing journey in the peaceful, clean mountain air.

While I absolutely love the shop and will miss being there, I am looking forward to bringing my 90-hour work week down to a more reasonable 60 hours. I am passionate about and have interests in many things - the unfortunate reason why I work so many hours - and I never see myself retiring. I have lots of ideas that I just have not found the time to contemplate further and bring to fruition, and there are too many to even mention here. The extra time will enable me to work on crafting new formulations that I have had bouncing around in my brain for quite some time. There have been many changes in the tea industry over the past several years that haven't necessarily been for the better and I am hoping at some point in the future that I will be able to travel to some of the overseas tea gardens to establish more direct relationships with growers. I am also looking to expand the herbalism side of the business to include tinctures, elixirs, and salves, along with more functional blends, and I am hoping at some point to experiment growing tea and to grow herbs on the new property to use in my custom products (step #1 keep one plant alive - I have a notorious "black thumb"). I also will be continuing my studies in Clinical Herbalism and am planning on sitting for the board exam in Health and Wellness Coaching next autumn. The additional time will also enable me to see more clients through my other business, Vitality Holistic Wellness, and implement new programs based on my advanced certifications that I have attained over the past few years (high-level details below). And as I coach my clients about balance, I am also looking forward to bringing more balance into my own life and knocking some things off my extensive personal bucket list - something I haven't been able to do in the past ten years.

As some of you may know, my husband and I somehow came to house a cat rescue/sanctuary where we rehabilitate and hospice kitties with special needs that have made there way to us. Over the past 24 years, we have provided a home to 28 kitties (no, they are not all still alive for those of you who keep trying to figure out how many we have ;)). This has become almost another full-time job, as the number of rescues has grown significantly in the past few years. It's also the reason for my morning tardiness (my apologies to those of you who have had to wait) and the need to close promptly at the end of the day. The extra time will enable me more time to continue my work with the more traumatized ones and work on trapping, testing, and spaying/neutering the six additional ones who are currently outside. Over the years, I have successfully implemented the use of herbs with them and this is another area in which I would like to delve a little deeper. Your tips over the years became what is known as the "kitty fund" and have been very much appreciated to help cover the food, medications, IV supplies, litter, vet bills, diagnostics, surgeries, and all the other expenses that have been necessary to provide them with proper care and a safe, loving home. Any profit from the tea business has always gone to their care and this will continue in the online format.

I know the next several months will go by fast and there are some key things in preparation to move to the online format:

1. I have been stocking up on and blending teas and tisanes in case you plan to buy larger quantities as March 31st approaches. The teas will store well for quite some time. I am anticipating a 3-week interruption in service, so it will be best to stock up beforehand.
2. It will be very difficult to continue to manage the volume of teas and tisanes that I currently offer. Some will no longer be carried because they are no longer being produced or I don't have a way to purchase any longer. I have a really good sense on the teas that you may want to continue to purchase; however, I would love to hear your must-haves. Please feel free to reply to this email with your favorites.
3. For all outstanding gift certificates - feel free to redeem them in the shop before March 31st. Or you may also redeem them in the online shop by inputting the following information in the Comments section in the cart: compliments of, especially for, gift certificate number, amount, and date. You will still need to input your credit card, but only the balance will be charged, if there is one. Gift certificates never expire - I put an expiration date on them because I want them to be used and not forgotten in a pile of paper ;)
4. If you have had your eye on any particular teaware in the shop, now would probably be the best time to purchase it. Much of what remains are one-of-a-kind pieces and I am not planning on continuing to offer teaware once it is all sold.
5. I always put love in every cup of tea that I prepare for you, but extra love will be put in everyone's cup moving forward :)
6. I will also be selling some of the pieces in the shop that I will no longer need. I will be making more definite decisions as March approaches, but I already know that the commercial stainless steel sink will not be needed. Please let me know if anyone is potentially interested in purchasing it.

Lastly, if you know anyone who may be interested in renting this space once I vacate, here is a word of caution that I am hoping you may spread. Over the past eight years, there have been consistent issues that have failed to be resolved and the first four continue to be issues:

1. Every year we have several instances where we don't have heat and we've already experienced one so far this season. We either run out of oil or the boiler breaks or gets clogged due to lack of maintenance. Some of you may have experienced the inconvenience of freezing along with me or the shop being closed early on these days after I could no longer take the cold. Sometimes it lasts for just a day, but there were times when it lasted for several.
2. There has been a leak in the roof for about six years. Every time it rains, it rains inside my neighbors shop and the landlord's solution was to paint over the peeling paint in her shop. This leak started when she still had a lease, but he refused to repair it then. And she has been told that it won't be repaired until she signs a new lease. I have refused to sign a new lease for the past six years due to the ongoing unresolved issues in the building and have, instead, chosen to be month-to-month.
3. The premises are not well maintained and we go through extended periods where the building almost looks abandoned. Landscaping takes place when a vacant space is being shown to a potential renter.
4. There are no guaranteed parking spots for a business owner and two years ago we were told that we couldn't park in the parking lot. I chose to not comply, as I have very heavy inventory that I carry into and out of my shop on an almost daily basis.
5. In the autumn of 2020, there was no hot water in the building for 5-6 weeks because the upstairs tenant moved out and there were only two of us remaining in the entire building. Hot water was only turned back on when a new tenant moved in upstairs.

Pre-order Reminder

As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive and there is somewhere you need to be. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop pleasuresoftea.com.

• Please place orders at least 24-hours ahead of desired pick up time, if possible, to ensure that it will be seen in the portal and there is enough time to pull it together in time for your arrival.
• Indicating the approximate date and time of pick up in the Comments section in the Cart helps ensure that your order will be ready for you upon arrival. Pick-ups can only be done during shop hours.
• If you plan to browse at the shop or grab a cup of tea, then please do not pay online - select the Pay at pick-up option. You will receive an emailed notification once your order is ready for pick-up.
• DO NOT send orders to my email or leave on voicemail - they will be lost and most likely will not be seen until weeks after you are looking for them.

Thank you for your continued assistance in helping to serve you in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible! :)

I am not currently taking on new clients, but will have the availability to do so after the shop closes. As a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner, I help clients get to the root of their health and wellness issues and reclaim the vitality that they very much deserve. I offer fully customized, programs that are unique to each client and that incorporate functional lab testing and holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past seventeen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and more personalized level than I can offer in the shop. In addition to the new tools in my toolbox, I will continue to draw from my experience in using tea for health, along with my herbalism training, during the development of the comprehensive protocols that will be specific to the bio-individualized needs of each client. I will educate and empower you to make the choices that are best for YOUR health so that you can be your own health advocate moving forward. I look forward to showing you what I can do to help you achieve your wellness goals and enjoy continued vitality well into the future!

Over the past few years I have had the extraordinary opportunity to study with and be mentored by some leaders in their field. I am excited to incorporate this new information to help my clients and will be using the skills and knowledge gained from these certifications to roll out new programs later this year:

• Functional Nutrition Certificate with Chris Kresser - world-renown integrative medicine practitioner; based on this knowledge I will be using functional and ancestral nutrition to support the needs of the body and educate clients about the foods that create the environment for chronic inflammation and disease. Clients will also have the option to obtain diet and lifestyle practice reports based solely on their genetics.
• Certified Terrain Advocate with Dr. Nasha Winters - world-renown Naturopathic doctor who uses an integrative, metabolic approach to help her clients survive and thrive with cancer; I will be using the principles of the Metabolic Approach to address internal and external underlying drivers in the cancering process, but also with autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and other inflammatory chronic conditions.
• MRC Healthy Gut Specialist Certification with Dr. Jason Hawrelak - among the preeminent international researcher/clinicians in the realm of gut microbiome testing and addressing GI issues using natural methods; using the extensive new tools in my toolbox, I will be able to help my clients better address a broad array of GI issues and enable them to balance their gut microbiome for optimal wellness.
• Art and Science of Herbalism Certificate with Rosemary Gladstar - the "godmother" of herbalism here in the US; I will be able to use the extensive herbal and natural remedies knowledge gained from this program in developing my own protocols.
• FDN Advanced Course Certificate - Coaching Skills and Teaching Emotional Wellness
• FDN Advanced Course Certificate - Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis
• FDN Advanced Course Certificate - Blood Sugar Management
• FDN Advanced Course Certificate - Advanced Guide to Mitochondria Dysfunction and Support

To learn about my health and wellness services, feel free to visit the Vitality Holistic Wellness website https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. New programs and additional information about my health and wellness services will be added in a few months, so stay tuned!

I haven't had the time to craft and distribute the Vitality Newsletter in over a year, but am planning to pick this back up after the shop closes. The newsletter will include health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving it, then please feel free to sign up while you're at the website!

New at the Shop

Nothing new at the moment, but our seasonal teas, a few holiday tea samplers, and goodies are available in the shop and online shop! The following teas are still available, some in very limited supply: Apple Molasses Black Tea, Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea, Christmas Blend Black Tea, Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black & Green Tea with Yerba Maté Blend, Maple Walnut Green Tea, White Chocolate Peppermint White Tea, Rooibos Christmas Cookie Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Orange Gingerbread Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Crème Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane, Candied Pomegranate Herbal Tisane, and Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane. New this past holiday season for all of you looking for a caffeine-free option to our most popular holiday blends is Rooibos Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tisane!

Gingerbread and White Chocolate Peppermint macarons are also still available, along with lots of other delicious flavors :)

Infuse Tea Bar & The Pleasures of Tea

106 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

www.infuseteabarny.com - shop

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

**************************************

500+ Loose Leaf Teas, Herbal Tisanes & Functional/Medicinal Herbs

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Forever Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, MRC Certified Healthy Gut Practitioner & Certified Terrain Advocate - Vitality Holistic Wellness