Happy autumn and I hope you are well!

This is a last-minute reminder about this Thursday's Women's Expo! The shop will be closed, as I will be exhibiting at this 22nd annual event. Feel free to visit us and other talented and creative women entrepreneurs from Suffolk and Nassau counties and pick up some gifts for the holidays. If you missed yesterday's pre-order deadline for pick up at the event, please place your orders in the online shop no later than tomorrow morning 10/4. Details are below...

All of our autumn teas are available and some seasonal goodies are available as well! Check out the New at the Shop section below for the complete list. A few summer teas are still available in limited supply, so grab them before they are gone.

Like many of you, I tend to crave warming spices at this time of year...especially during the cooler, damp days that we've been having. There's just something to cinnamon, clove and other spices that put a smile on my face. This inspired my topic for the month - Chai. We explore this popular beverage below.

The autumn menu for Gong Fu Tea Service is now in effect! Appointments for this seated service are being accepted and please see below for all the details. I look forward to you joining me for this relaxing and culturally enriching experience.

The remaining tasting workshops have a waiting, except there is one spot still available in Preparation Techniques on 10/29. See below for details and feel free to join us for an interactive, fun, and educational evening filled with tea! :)

I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you much health and great tasting cups of tea!

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Mark your calendars - the indoor Women's Expo is back!! :)

I am honored to have been selected for a twelfth year to exhibit at this annual event that showcases the creativity and talent of women entrepreneurs from Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The timing is perfect for the upcoming holiday season, so be sure to stop by to show your support for all of the exhibitors and get some gifts knocked off your list. I will be donating a tea gift basket for the event and don't forget to check out all the raffle prizes!

When: Thursday, October 6th

Time: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Where: Middle Country Public Library

101 Eastwood Boulevard, Centereach

Check out the event's website womensexpoli.org or Facebook page Women's EXPO LI

****Please note that the shop will be closed this day! I will only have about 80 of my 500+ teas and tisane and a few accessories and tea ware items for sale, so if you're planning on stopping by to pick up anything particular, please place your order in the online shop and indicate Women's Expo in the Comments section. I have a small window tomorrow 10/4 to finish prepping for the event, so please be sure to place your orders no later than tomorrow morning 10/4. After this, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to pull your order together to bring with me.****

Gong Fu Tea Service

The autumn menu for Gong Fu Tea Service is now available! 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 three to four appointments at a time. Each session lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours 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 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 is crafted and rotated seasonally and curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. The autumn menu is as follows:

• 2017 Yue Guang Bai with Camelia Flower White Tea Cake - Yunnan, China
• Yunnan Large Leaf Green Tea - Yunnan, China
• Zhushan Bug-Bitten Light Roast Formosa Wulong Tea - Nantou, Taiwan
• Doke Estate Rolling Thunder Wulong Tea - Bihar, India
• Gold Peony Hunan Black Tea - Hunan, China
• PT Harendong Green Farm Black Tea - Java, Indonesia
• Fu Zhuan Cha Dark Tea Brick - Hunan, China

Gong Fu Tea appointments are available:

Thursdays & Fridays - 11:30 through 3:00

Sundays - 11:30 through 2:00

Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays. Please note that the last day for Gong Fu this year will be Sunday 11/6. Gong Fu Tea Service will return after the January break with the winter menu.

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! :)

Tea Tastings & Pairings 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 the workshops that are scheduled for the next month:

Rare, Hand-Crafted, Small-Batch Teas - October 15th (waiting list)

Preparation Techniques - October 29th (1 spot remaining)

Tisanes for Winter Health - November 12th (waiting list)

   Workshop descriptions and policies, are posted 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! :)

Chai

Chai is a popular beverage at this time of year because it is rich and warming. It originated in India in the early 1900's and is traditionally made by boiling strong black tea, milk, sugar or honey, and a blend of aromatic, warming, and comforting spices. But did you know that the words "chai" and "cha" actually mean "tea" in many Asian languages?

That's right. These words are believed to have derived from the Chinese words "cha yeh" meaning "tea leaf". The word "chai" simply means tea and "chai tea" literally translates as "tea tea". So if you were to order chai in India, you would most likely receive plain black tea. In India, the spiced tea that we are so familiar with is known as Masala Chai, or Chai Masala, - the Hindi words for "tea" and "spices".

There is no standard recipe for the spices or ratios used in the crafting of a Masala Chai blend. Many different spices can be used and blended into an infinite number of combinations. However, there are a few staple spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger root, clove and/or black peppercorn. Traditionally, a strong full-bodied black is the base of the blend so that the tea is not lost with the addition of milk. Chai blends can be crafted from bases that include green, white, wulong and dark/Pu-er teas and herbs including rooibos, tulsi, and just the spices themselves; however, not all can hold up to the addition of milk or any array of alternative "milks" that are so widely available.

In addition to adding great flavor to the tea, these spices also have several potential health benefits. Spices contain vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients that function as anti-oxidants. Research shows that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it may help regulate blood sugar, and may slow down the progression and/or alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Green cardamom may assist in lowering blood pressure and contains the phytochemical, cineole, which has been shown to help break up chest congestion and relieve a sore throat - perfect to help combat cold and flu season. Ginger root has been used traditionally to relieve indigestion and nausea, along with alleviating the symptoms of cold and flu. In addition, recent studies on ginger root demonstrated that it may reduce inflammation and pain. Cloves contain the essential oil, eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic properties. Recently it has been found that eugenol may also assist in reducing the formation of blood clots.

A traditional recipe is shared in our online shop about how to prepare authentic chai using our Masala Chai Black Tea, so feel free to check it out! 

If you are looking to explore some chai-inspired blends, feel free to see the offering in the shop or online shop and let me know what you think! And you have trouble deciding, we offer a sampler of several of our chai blends. :)

Do you or someone you know need a personal health detective to address chronic wellness issues that can't seem to be resolved? Make 2022 the year you find results for good!

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 holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past fifteen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and 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!

To learn more, please visit https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. If you are ready to make the investment in your wellness, then I would be happy to discuss the potential opportunity with you. You may book a complimentary discovery call directly through the website so I can learn about your issues and you can learn more about how I work and how my approach is different from the conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches that you have already experienced. I also have an email address specific for Vitality Holistic Wellness business and I ask that all inquiries regarding these services be directed to kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net.

The website also shares My Why - the reasons why I am so passionate about this approach to health and wellness. This is a very personal experience for me and I share my 32-year journey toward finding health and wellness and dealing with autoimmunity and a compromised immune system, among many other issues that you or someone you know may be experiencing. I hear from so many of you about your own chronic wellness issues and I share my story as a way to connect and open the door and show that there is hope…even after 32 years! If you would like to read my health story, please click here. It is long, so make sure you have a big mug of tea :)

I also email out a newsletter with health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving the Vitality Newsletter, then feel free to sign up while you're at the website!

New at the Shop

All your favorite autumn teas and tisanes have returned! 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.

Very limited stock of the following summer teas are still available: Minted Coconut Lime Green Tea, Cherry Pineapple Herbal Tisane, Coconut Lime Herbal Tisane, Coconut Fruit Punch Fruit Tisane, Kiwi Peach Fruit Tisane, Pomegranate Lime Fruit Tisane, and Watermelon Fruit Tisane. All are currently available in the shop and online shop. Grab your favorites before they are gone!

Lots of seasonal goodies have arrived! Apple Cranberry Walnut Povitica is now available and we are restocked with Traditional Walnut & Honey and Chocolate. Maple and Pumpkin Spice Scone Mixes are back and all other flavors have been restocked. All scone mixes are available in the shop and online shop.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Macarons are now available! All other 20+ flavors are restocked, including Caramel Fleur de Sel and Cherry Blossom. Yum :)

And just in time for the holiday season - all Effie's shortbread-like Biscuits have been restocked. But you don't have to wait for the holidays to enjoy these special treats yourself ;)

Infuse Tea Bar & The Pleasures of Tea

106 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

www.infuseteabarny.com - shop

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner - Vitality Holistic Wellness